


Performance Anxiety

by Giganotus



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Begging, Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Deepthroating, Developing Relationship, Dissociation, Drunken Shenanigans, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Time Blow Jobs, Heartache, Kiran is just me with a different name, Lapdance, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Masturbation, Mild Gore, Near Death Experiences, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Post-Coital Cuddling, Power Bottom, Riding, Rough Sex, Sloppy Makeouts, Stabbing, Strip Tease, Stuttering, Swearing, Teasing, True Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-05 15:09:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14621304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giganotus/pseuds/Giganotus
Summary: Shigure is nervous about performing in front of all the heroes. Inigo decides to help him relax before going on stage. From that point, everything spirals out of control.





	1. Calming Nerves

**Author's Note:**

> I had a dream about these two and oops I ship it now.

     Shigure stands backstage, muttering to himself. He’s not sure he can go through with singing in front of all the heroes. One on one, easy. A crowd of strangers, harder but still doable. A crowd of people he knows, nerve wracking. He leans against the wall and closes his eyes, trying desperately to calm down. It’s too late to back out, he already promised everyone he would do it! He already has his outfit on! It’s literally 20 minutes until showtime! He’s lost in thoughts until he hears footsteps approaching.

     Shigure opens his eyes to see who it is. It’s Inigo, dressed in that revealing dancer outfit and strutting like he owns the place. Shigure looks away. That dancer outfit always flustered him. Something about it brought out weird feelings in him. Feelings he’d rather just… shove down in a hole. It’s rather hard to ignore when Inigo leans against the wall next to Shigure and nudges him.

     “Nerves getting to you?” he asks playfully. Shigure just sighs and nods. “Funny. Didn’t see you as the type to have stagefright,” Inigo adds, smirking. Shigure looks at him with a scowl.

     “You may be able to flaunt yourself in front of anyone, but I prefer to be… selective…” Shigure states. Inigo laughs.   
  


     “Don’t like how I shake my hips for everyone?” he wiggles for emphasis. “Would you rather I give you a private performance~?” Shigure feels his face heat up when Inigo says that. Inigo just laughs again and looks over at the stage curtains.

     “Say, how long until showtime?” he asks.

     “15 minutes now… why?” Shigure is a bit suspicious. Inigo looks at him with a devious grin. There’s a certain look in his eyes that makes Shigure’s heart flutter.    
  


     “I think that’s plenty of time. Come with me, I know what’ll calm you down!” without waiting for Shigure to respond, Inigo grabs his hand and begins to pull him away. Shigure only makes a noise of protest before accepting his fate and following Inigo.

     Inigo leads Shigure to a secluded spot not too far away. He lets go of Shigure and gently pushes him against the wall. Inigo looks around to make sure no one is nearby, then turns his attention back to Shigure.

     “Inigo what are you-”

     “Shhhh… can’t be too loud now. Just relax, alright?” Inigo reassures him. Shigure has a hunch, but is still confused.

     “R-relax?? What are you planni-!!” Shigure is cut off when Inigo moves his face close to his. He’s so close that their lips are brushing against each other. Shigure doesn’t know what to do. He can’t deny that the closeness is exciting. Arousing even. Still, Shigure was never good at this sort of thing, so Inigo’s boldness has him unbelievably flustered.

     “Mmmh… just what I thought. You’ve had your eyes on me, haven’t you~?” Inigo says in a seductive tone. Shigure averts his eyes. It’s true. He has a thing for Inigo. He just doesn’t want to admit it.

     “M-maybe…” Shigure mutters, still not looking at Inigo. He hears Inigo chuckle, then a hand grabs his chin and makes him look at his crush. Before Shigure can say any more, he feels a pair of warm lips press against his. He’s surprised, no doubt, but quickly gives in to the kiss. 

     Shigure’s mind completely forgets about his stagefright. Instead, his thoughts are filled with a flurry of other emotions. Confusion, desire, shame, excitement! He almost can’t believe this is happening. Inigo is actually kissing him! His mind goes from a flurry to a haze as the kissing gets more passionate. He wants to touch or hold Inigo, but is still too shy. He keeps his hands to himself, letting Inigo take the lead.

     Eventually, Inigo moves away from Shigure’s lips. Instead, he kisses along Shigure’s jaw. A hand reaches up and pulls down the neckline on Shigure’s outfit, revealing his neck. Inigo is quick to trail kisses there. He’s gentle, not wanting to leave any marks before Shigure goes on stage. Still, it’s enough to get a gasp out of Shigure. Inigo smirks against his skin when he hears him. He moves his head away from Shigure’s neck, looking him dead in the eyes. He hopes Shigure can see the lust in his gaze.

     Shigure watches as Inigo slowly drops to his knees. He can feel butterflies in his stomach as he realizes what Inigo is doing. He’s nervous, yet incredibly excited. He feels Inigo’s hands run along his thighs and up to the hem of his pants. He watches Inigo gently pull them down just far enough to get the job done. Shigure can’t help but feel embarrassed. He had gotten a tad excited while he and Inigo were kissing. 

     “Wow, you really do have a thing for me, hehe! Just making out with you got this response~!” Inigo teases, much to Shigure’s annoyance. Before Shigure can say anything back, Inigo grabs ahold of his slightly hard dick and begins to stroke it slowly. Shigure immediately forgets whatever it was he was going to say. He just watches, mouth slightly agape, as Inigo gets him fully hard. 

     “Mmmn… not bad… not bad at all~!” Inigo compliments once Shigure is fully aroused. Shigure makes a small noise, flustered by the compliment. It doesn’t stop at one, however.

     “Big, but not too big. Thick, but not too thick. Not often you see a cock so nice~” Inigo purrs, inching his mouth closer. He glances up to see Shigure’s flustered face. He chuckles, delighted by how cute Shigure is. 

     Inigo stops stroking Shigure, instead holding him firm. He then drags his tongue from the base to the head. He hears Shigure sigh shakily in response. That only encourages him to keep going. Inigo gently takes the head into his mouth, sucking lightly. He swirls his tongue along the tip, listening to Shigure’s stifled whimpers. 

     Shigure is still in disbelief. This was definitely happening. First he’s kissed by Inigo, and now he’s getting his dick sucked by him. He’s trying his hardest to not make too much noise, but it’s difficult. He watches Inigo take more of his cock into his mouth. He’s amazed that Inigo knows what he’s doing. Has he… done this before? He must have. Not that Shigure really minded. It felt amazing, after all.

     Inigo strokes the base as he focuses on the top half with his mouth. He begins to bob his head, timing each suck and lick perfectly. He feels Shigure timidly place a hand on top of his head. It makes him bolder, more excited! He takes as much of Shigure’s dick as he can into his mouth. Inigo is actually surprised when that turns out to be all of it. He’s glad he didn’t attempt this without practicing first, as he can feel Shigure’s cock twitching at his throat. He soon backs up, focusing again on just the upper half.

     Shigure shudders when he feels Inigo deepthroat him. He grips Inigo’s hair tightly, pushing on his head to try to encourage him to do it again. Inigo gets the message, looking up at Shigure before taking his whole cock again. He backs up again, but soon repeats the action. Shigure fights back a loud moan. It feels so damn good! 

     Inigo knows that Shigure won’t last much longer. He goes all out, sucking hard. He occasionally backs up to the head, focusing his attention there before taking more of Shigure’s dick. Of course, he also keeps deepthroating, knowing how much Shigure seems to like it. Just as he thought, a few repeats of this pattern was all that was needed. He hears Shigure let out a strained moan, and feels him shoot off in his mouth. Inigo doesn’t stop sucking until he knows he’s drained Shigure. 

     Shigure pants heavily as he winds down from his peak. He lets go of Inigo’s hair and leans against the wall for support. He feels Inigo take his mouth off, along with a satisfying pop as his lips leave the head. Shigure looks down, seeing Inigo grinning back up at him. There’s a bit of his seed dripping out of the corner of Inigo’s mouth. Shigure can’t help but find it hot. He watches as Inigo swallows, then licks the bit of cum dripping out of his mouth. 

     Inigo loves seeing Shigure’s reaction. The guy must’ve never had a blowjob before. First time for everything, he figures. Inigo quickly makes Shigure decent again, putting his dick back in his pants and pulling them into place. He then stands and sighs in satisfaction. 

     “Feel better?” Inigo asks, as if he didn’t just suck Shigure off. Shigure looks at him, face still red. He nods, then looks away. Inigo beams, proud that he could help. 

     “That… felt really nice…” Shigure says, his voice barely above a whisper. He clears his throat, then begins walking back towards the stage. Inigo follows close behind. 

     “Hey, Shigure!” Inigo calls out. Shigure stops and turns to look at him. “If you do well, I’ll give you an even better performance~” Inigo promises. Shigure nods, accepting the offer. He quickly puts on his veil to hide how red his cheeks are. He turns back to face the curtains, takes a deep breath, and heads onto the stage to begin his performance. His performance anxiety no longer bothering him.


	2. After the Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo fulfills his promise to Shigure, giving him a private show.

     Shigure's performance wraps up wonderfully. The crowd of heroes cheers and claps as he heads backstage, a pleased smile on his face. He's quick to spot Inigo, who has been waiting right where Shigure left him.   
  
     Inigo strides up to Shigure once the curtains close. His hips sway in a rather feminine manner with each step. Shigure takes swift notice of the tantalizing walk. He feels a shiver down his spine.   
  
     "You did great out there," Inigo praises, smiling wide. Shigure smiles softly back, not making direct eye contact.

     "Thanks..." is all he says. Suddenly he feels Inigo leaning close to his ear.  
  
     "When you're done talking to everyone, wait for me in your quarters, ok? I promised you a private show after all~" Inigo whispers in his ear, then backs away and walks off like nothing happened. Shigure just stands there for a moment, processing what he was told. He shakes his head to clear his mind, then goes to the crowd of heroes to chat with everyone.   
  
     Later, Shigure is in his quarters. He's changed out of his singer outfit. Now he's just wearing a simple blue tunic with black pants. He fidgets while he waits on his bed. His mind wanders, wondering what Inigo is going to do. He doesn't have much time to himself though, as soon he hears a knock on his door.   
  
     "Ah... come in!" Shigure calls out. The door then opens. Sure enough, it's Inigo, still wearing his dancer outfit. He enters quietly, closing the door behind him. He's carrying what looks like a flask of some sort. Inigo walks over to the bedside table and sets the flask down. Then, he moves so he's in front of Shigure.   
  
     "You know, when I was training to be a dancer, I was taught the art of... sensual dancing~" he says with a purr in his voice.   
  
     "Oh.... that's uh... that's nice..." Shigure says. He's frankly distracted just looking at Inigo. He's not sure how he's going to handle a private dance.   
  
     Inigo steps closer, lifting Shigure's chin. "There's just one rule... you can't touch the dancer, no matter how much they touch you. Got it~?" Inigo says, smirking. Shigure is at a loss for words. All he can do is nod.

     Inigo backs off and begins his dance. He wasn't joking when he said he was trained in this sort of thing. There's a lot of emphasis on the hips, swaying them smoothly. Of course, he interacts with Shigure too, running his fingers along the singer's cheeks, chest, even thighs. A lot of his movements are clearly sexual in nature, drawing attention to his features, teasing Shigure in order to arouse him, and even mimicking certain positions.  
  
     Shigure has an incredibly hard time keeping his hands to himself. Especially when Inigo gets so close to him. It's all so enticing. It doesn't help when Inigo starts taking pieces of his dancer outfit off either. First, the small decorations and bits. Next, his top's vest. Then, the top itself. By then he only has the pants of the outfit on.   
  
     By this point, even Inigo has trouble keeping control. He moves towards Shigure, legs straddling his hips and hands on his chest. Once again, his eyes show raw desire. He can feel Shigure's rapid heartbeat. He knows he did a perfect job.   
  
     "So, what do you think so far~?" he asks. It takes a moment for Shigure to collect his thoughts.   
  
     "Good. Real uh... really good... good job..." Shigure stammers. He feels a hand slide up and caress his cheek.   
  
     "You want to keep going~?"   
  
     "... Another dance?"   
  
      "In a way, yes. A much more, intimate dance~" Inigo emphasizes the word intimate by grinding himself against Shigure. Obviously, this gets a response.

  
     "Oh... OH!!" Shigure isn't sure how to respond. A good thirty seconds of nonsensical stammering follows before Inigo says anything.   
  
     "Hey hey, relax. If you want to stop here that's fine. That's why I asked. I want you to want it too,"   
  
     "I do!!" Shigure's a little quick to respond. He clears his throat. "I uh... I do want to... want to keep going..."   
  
     Inigo smiles wide with excitement. He leans in close, about to kiss Shigure when he stops just short. "Oh, and by the way, you can touch me as much as you want now~" he says, then closes the gap between him and Shigure. Immediately he feels Shigure take the opportunity to touch him. He feels timid hands wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. Inigo responds by putting his full weight against Shigure, causing both to fall back on the bed.   
  
     Shigure adjusts himself once he's lying down. Unfortunately, this means he has to briefly break the kiss and let go of Inigo. He backs himself up so he's lying down properly on the bed. He watches as Inigo crawls his way back on top, happily resuming the kiss. He feels hands push up his tunic. Shigure is more than willing to let him take it off.

     Inigo is quick to remove the tunic and toss it aside. His hands caress Shigure's abdomen and sides, slowly working their way to his chest. He feels Shigure take a sharp breath. Inigo looks at that flushed face, hair that normally covers Shigure's right eye now brushed aside. He can't help himself. He leans back down to kiss Shigure again.  
  
     Shigure once again wraps his arms around Inigo. He forces the two of them to touch, chest to chest. He can't get over how it feels. His apprehension is fading away and being replaced by desire.   
  
     The need for more intimacy is starting to overwhelm him. Shigure knows he's not the only one who's craving more, too. He can feel Inigo's arousal through his pants. Thankfully, he doesn't have to wait much longer.   
  
     Inigo breaks the kiss, his own needs getting unbearable. He sits up and begins to remove Shigure's pants and undergarments. Once removed, he tosses them aside with the tunic. He takes a moment to look Shigure over. He likes what he sees. He delicately runs his fingers along Shigure's fully hard cock.   
  
     "Ohhh yes... that's gonna feel absolutely wonderful ~" he purrs in a low voice. Shigure watches him as he moves to grab the flask he put on the bedside table. Inigo takes the cap off and pours a thick, oily looking liquid onto his hand. He sets the flask back down and begins to slather the liquid onto Shigure's dick.   
  
     "What is-"   
  
     "It's to make things smoother. Don't worry, this is the only preparation needed now. I did the rest before I came to your room," Inigo interrupts. It's obvious Shigure is still a little confused. Perhaps it's the lustful haze he's in. Inigo gives him a moment to put things together.   
Shigure figures it out eventually.

     "Oh! Right right. Can't just uh... can't go right in without... yeah. Ok," he feels a little embarrassed that he didn't figure it out right away. At least Inigo is apparently experienced. Makes the situation a lot easier.  
  
     Inigo chuckles, then begins to remove his own pants and undergarments. He feels a lot better once everything is off. He catches Shigure staring. It's obvious what he's looking at.   
  
     "Funny isn't it? We're pretty much the same size!" Inigo says, grinning. He catches a small smile from Shigure as well. He decides not to prolong things any longer. He carefully gets himself into position, holding Shigure's cock steady. He then slowly begins to lower himself down on top of it.   
  
     Shigure shudders when he feels the head slip into Inigo. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it feels amazing. He watches Inigo carefully take his whole cock, sitting firmly on Shigure's lap once it's all in.   
  
     Inigo gets adjusted. He squeezes Shigure's dick, enjoying how it feels. He feels it twitch inside him when he squeezes, and hears Shigure fight back a noise too.   
  
     "Oh you're even better than I expected~! You're a perfect fit!" Inigo praises. "You know, you don't have to keep yourself quiet anymore. It's just us now. I want to hear you sing~" he adds, punctuating the word sing with a firm buck of the hips. As expected, Shigure practically yelps. Inigo moves his hips again, getting another sharp sound out.

     Shigure can't handle it. How warm and tight it is inside Inigo, how good it feels when he moves. But Inigo isn't doing enough. "Inigo..." Shigure gasps out.  
  
     "Yes~?"   
  
     "Please... I... I need you... I need you to move... move your hips..." he's begging now. Still, Inigo just sits there.   
  
     "You want me to give you a ride you won't forget?" Inigo teases.   
  
     "Yes!! Gods yes!! Please Inigo!" Shigure sounds frantic now. He really is desperate for stimulation.   
  
     "As you wish~" and with that, Inigo starts really moving. He puts his dancing skills to good use, his hips rising and falling, forward and back, even in a smooth circular motion. He hears Shigure whimper and moan with each movement. It's truly like music to him.   
  
     Shigure quickly becomes a mess. He doesn't hold back his noises. He doesn't think he even could if he tried. He feels Inigo's hands on his chest, keeping balance as he rides. Shigure wants more, however. His hands go to Inigo's hips, pushing and pulling to urge him to go faster. 

     Inigo listens, picking up the pace. He hears a delightful slap each time he meets Shigure's hips. He can feel Shigure putting in effort too, rising to meet Inigo's downward thrusts. It's incredible. Inigo hasn't even touched his own cock and yet he can feel that familiar buildup inside him. Shigure really is a perfect fit.   
  
     "Ohh fuck..." Inigo moans out. He adjusts his position, hunching over Shigure. One hand tangles in light blue hair, while the other finally gives his cock some well needed attention.

     The look on Shigure's face is incredibly hot. Red cheeks, lustful and begging eyes, hair a mess, sweat running off his skin, mouth open in pure pleasure. Gods it's incredible.   
  
     "You're close yeah?" Inigo asks between pants. Shigure can only nod, as the only sounds leaving him are moans.   
  
     "Good... good... cum nice and deep in me... I want you to fill me up~" Inigo purrs. He feels Shigure squirm under him. He's about to burst, he can tell.   
  
     "Yeah... that's it. Come on... you're almost there~!" Inigo is determined to get Shigure to cum first. He bucks his hips extra hard, causing the bed to squeak each time.

     "Ahh... fuck... haa... " Shigure's frantic moans are now joined by Inigo's.  
  
     "Come on Shigure..." Inigo encourages as he hears Shigure's cries get increasingly desperate. As if that's all that was needed, Shigure's body tenses up. His whole body shakes with pleasure as he lets out a loud scream. Tears pool in his eyes, a sign of a good hard fucking.   
  
     Inigo makes it about halfway through Shigure's orgasm before his own washes over him. He grips Shigure's dick tightly, milking it as it spills load after load into him. His own cock shoots his seed all over Shigure's abdomen.   
  
     The two stay in their positions for some time, both panting heavily. Eventually, Inigo pulls himself off Shigure. He feels the cum shot into him start to leak out onto his thighs.   
  
     "Fuck you really did fill me up," Inigo says, still catching his breath. After a moment, he climbs off the bed. He finds a small towel and uses it to clean Shigure up. Afterwards, he tosses Shigure his pants, then grabbing his own and starting to put them on.   
  
     It takes Shigure a moment to register everything. Once his mind is caught up, he sits up and starts putting his pants on. He catches a glimpse of Inigo about to leave.   
  
     "Inigo wait!" he calls out. Inigo stops, door partway open and carrying the rest of his things.   
  
     "Yeah?"

     "Do you think... think you could stay? Just for tonight?" Shigure asks. He feels weird about asking, but he doesn't want to just be fucked and left there.

     Inigo smiles, closing the door. He sets his things down. “Yeah. Yeah I can stay,” he says, then walks back over to the bed. He climbs in, getting under the sheets and getting comfortable.

     “Big spoon or little spoon?” he asks. Shigure is still registering the fact that Inigo agreed to stay.

     “I don’t.. I don’t know. Didn’t think I’d get this far…” Inigo laughs at that answer.

     “Come on, get in here!” Inigo beckons. Shigure just nods and gets himself under the sheets. He lies on his side, back facing Inigo. He feels Inigo move close, putting an arm around him. He relaxes, feeling warm and safe.

     Soon, the two doze off, exhausted by their activities.


	3. Longing Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shigure can't stop thinking about what happened between himself and Inigo.

     Shigure awakes in a haze. His mind begins to fuzzily recollect the events of yesterday. In his sleepy state, he begins to wonder if any of it even happened, or if it was all some long, bizarre dream. There is one way to find out.

     Shigure turns slowly, wanting to see if Inigo really was in his bed. Sure enough, there he is. Wide awake, but still lying in Shigure’s bed. It doesn’t take long for Inigo to notice that he’s being stared at.

     “Hey. Finally up!” he greets, smiling. Shigure just looks at him blankly, blinking a few times. He wonders if he’s still dreaming. A bit of feeling around at the sheets, himself, and Inigo’s face confirms he’s indeed awake. Inigo just chuckles at Shigure’s sleepy confusion.

     Shigure accepts the situation. Sort of. He more or less flops onto his back and stares up into space. The only thing he really registers is the sound of Inigo sitting up and getting out of the bed. Shigure listens to him shuffle around the small room, collecting his things. Eventually, Shigure decides to sit up. He sees that Inigo is all dressed now. Shigure doesn’t know if he’s disappointed or glad. 

     “Yesterday was fun, wasn’t it?” Inigo breaks the silence. He’s as cheery as ever. 

     “Mmm… it was…” Shigure mumbles.  _ “A little unexpected though…” _ he thinks. He sees Inigo stretch, unable to stop himself from staring. He’s caught, of course, and is given a wink. Shigure blushes and looks away.

     “You know, you’re fun. Got a lot of potential in you, but you still have things to learn. If you ever want a little ‘treat’ from me again, let me know. I’d be happy to provide~” Inigo says. Shigure just nods. He hears another chuckle from Inigo.

     “See you around, Shigure!” he says before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

     The following days are odd to say the least. Shigure finds himself unable to get what happened out of his head. He tries everything. He focuses on various upkeep chores, walks the castle grounds, sings to himself, trains. Nothing works. It doesn’t help that Inigo keeps finding him and striking up conversation. The odd part is, Inigo acts like none of it ever happened. 

     About a week later, Shigure finds himself in the bathhouse. Nothing unusual really, just getting ready for a warm bath after a long day of work. He gets in the bath, hoping it will ease his mind. It does, for a little while. 

     Naturally, his mind finds its way back to Inigo.  _ “Dammit, why can’t I stop thinking about him?!”  _ he thinks. Instead of trying to fight the thoughts away, however, Shigure decides to let them just run their course.

     The whole situation is just so strange to him! Before the day of the performance, he and Inigo had simply been good friends! They’d hang out, chat, train together. Normal friend things. Sure, Shigure had that underlying… issue with Inigo’s skimpy dance outfit, but Shigure never thought anything of it. He still didn’t want to admit to himself that he found Inigo attractive.

     Yet things changed that day. Inigo is a flirt to just about anyone, men and women alike. Mostly women. Yet he never made a serious move towards Shigure until then. Just the occasional joking flirt.  _ “Were they really jokes though?” _ Shigure wonders. He has so many questions.

     Shigure’s mind begins to focus more on the events that transpired. The kissing, the blowjob, the dance, and of course the sex.  _ “It really did feel good…”  _ Shigure admits to himself. This only bring up more questions. 

_      “He really seemed to like having me inside him…” _ he thinks. He finds the idea a bit confusing. Shigure wasn’t completely unaware of how sex worked. He was taught the basics. He just hadn’t gotten a lot of experience in his life. Anyone he had a crush on would either not return the feelings or break things off before they got too serious. Besides, his experience is mostly women. He’s admired men in the past, but never acted on it. Then again he hardly acts on his attraction to women either. He doesn’t really know what to do, and is far too embarrassed to ask questions or read some books.

_“Niles mentioned that it’s a sensitive place in most men.”_ he wonders. Niles isn’t exactly a reliable source when it comes to sex though. The guy also once said if you came too much your balls would shrivel up and fall off. Still, Shigure wonders if he’s right about this. He knows one way to find out.

     Shigure adjusts himself in the bath, opening his legs. He hopes no one else is in one of the other bath stalls. He slowly reaches down between his legs, feeling the area.  _ “This isn’t so bad.” _ he thinks. He can feel a slight ping of pleasure just from feeling, but it’s not much really. He knows he can’t just leave things here, however.

     He takes a deep breath, then carefully attempts to insert a finger inside himself. No. Nope. No. That’s not working. Not only is it proving downright difficult, but it actually hurts a bit from the friction. Still, Shigure makes a few more attempts. No success. He soon gives up, taking his hand away and huffing in frustration.

_      “I don’t get it. How could Inigo fit me inside him?” _ he ponders. He knew preparation was involved (thanks Niles for talking so loudly and making everyone in hearing range uncomfortable), but how does one even pull that off? Shigure thinks hard about what he might be doing wrong. Then it hits him.

     The oily substance Inigo put on Shigure’s dick. That’s what he was missing. A lubricant! Shigure remembers that Inigo left the flask in his room by accident. He has yet to come get it or ask for it back, so it’s still there on Shigure’s nightstand. Shigure knows what he’s going to do now. 

     He finishes getting himself all cleaned up and dressed in sleepwear. He heads right to his quarters, thankful that no one stopped him on the way there. He enters his room, closing the door and locking it. He doesn’t want to get interrupted. That would be embarrassing. 

     Shigure lies down on his bed, hyping himself up for a while. He’s never tried anything like this before. Still, he’s curious. Very curious. 

     He takes off his pants and underwear, gently dropping them next to the bed. Again, he sits there for a while. He idly strokes himself, hoping it’ll help get him in the mood. Sure enough, it does. He pauses his movements, taking a deep breath. He grabs the flask of lubricant off the nightstand and swiftly opens it. He decides the best course of action is to just not think too much about everything. 

     He carefully pours the liquid onto his hand. He rubs the stuff between his fingers. It sure feels weird, but he knows it’ll make things easier. He makes sure his fingers are covered in the stuff, then puts the cap back on the flask and sets it back down.

     Shigure gets into position once again. He lies back, legs open. He has to sit up slightly in order to reach without hurting himself. Once again, he rubs the area. It almost feels nicer with the lubricant. Then, he tries inserting a finger inside himself. This time, it works! He slips in with hardly any pain at all. It feels a little weird though. Shigure isn’t sure what to make of it. Still, he wants to keep going.

     He begins to feel around slowly. Shigure still isn’t sure how to feel. It’s odd having something in him like this. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s not exactly pleasuring either. That is, until he pushes a bit deeper. 

     Shigure gasps when he hits it. He’s not entirely sure what it is he hit, but he knows it feels great. He pushes on the spot again, forcing another noise out of him.  _ “That must be it,” _ he thinks. Now he understands. He gently rubs the spot repeatedly, surprised by how good it feels. 

     As time passes, Shigure grows more needy. Just one finger isn’t doing enough. Thankfully, he put a lot of lubricant on his fingers. Adding another proves to be not a problem. He moves his fingers a bit more aggressively, wanting more pleasure. He forces himself to keep quiet as he does so, not wanting to alert anyone. 

     Shigure’s free hand latches onto his cock and begins to stroke it, only adding to the pleasure he’s feeling. He can feel his excitement building inside him. His mind is absorbed in the feeling, and part of it wonders  _ “What if it was Inigo doing this?” _ . That only makes Shigure more turned on. 

     He gets faster and rougher as he goes on. He refuses to stop until he’s satisfied. The pleasure builds and builds until finally, he bursts. 

     It feels almost different from when he just uses his hands on his dick. Like it starts from within. It’s odd, yet exciting. Shigure shakes, struggling to not clamp his legs shut as he spills cum into his hand. 

     When he’s finished, he pulls his fingers out and flops back on his bed. He lies there for a moment, contemplating. He loved it. He gets why Inigo got so much pleasure just from riding him. Just when Shigure thinks he’s satisfied, however, another curiosity pops into his head.

_      “What if Inigo put himself in me?” _ . He’s almost ashamed of the thought. It’s so lewd. He’s never had such dirty thoughts about anyone. He sits up finally and cleans off his hands. He then grabs his pants and puts them back on. The curiosity lingers. 

     Shigure lies back down, this time getting under the sheets so he can sleep. He remembers what Inigo told him. How if he wanted to be with him again, he just needed to ask. As he drifts off, he decides he’s going to take Inigo up on that offer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are various rejected chapter names for this chapter. Including but not limited to:  
> "Shigure does a little experimenting and decides he needs a certain someone's dick up his ass"  
> "he does a butt stuff"  
> and  
> "ass gape so big you can fit a quarter"


	4. Only a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shigure solicits Inigo for another round, and finds himself hurting as a result.

     The next day dawns and Shigure has a plan of action. As soon as he’s able to, he’s going to track down Inigo. Shouldn’t be hard, considering the two of them frequent the same places. Still, he has some nerves he can’t shake.

     Shigure looks for Inigo multiple times throughout the day. In between training sessions and upkeep chores, he searches. He has yet to succeed. Frankly, Shigure’s annoyed. He’s close to giving up when he spots Inigo in the armory.

     Shigure slowly approaches. He sees that Inigo is helping polish and sharpen various weapons and armors. For a moment, Shigure just stares. He doesn’t catch himself until about a minute later. Thankfully, Inigo either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.

     Shigure walks over to Inigo and sits next to him. He glances over at Shigure, greeting him with a lovely smile. “Hey, good to see you again!” Inigo says.

     “Yes, it’s good to see you as well,” Shigure responds, almost forgetting why he came over in the first place. He hesitates for a moment, trying to gather the courage to say what he wants. Right as he goes to open his mouth, however, Inigo’s attention is drawn elsewhere.

     “Hey! Mia! Finished polishing your sword for you!” he calls out to the woman nearby. She quickly comes over and takes the sword from Inigo.

     “Hey thanks man!” she says.

     “Not a problem! You know, you and I should go get some tea. If things go well, maybe you could do a little sword polishing of your own~” of course he flirts. This is Inigo after all. Mia doesn’t look very pleased.

     “I don’t know, you seem good at doing it yourself,” she says, cackling. She walks off before Inigo can retaliate. Inigo just sighs in defeat. Shigure on the other hand feels a bit hurt by Inigo flirting with someone else. He’s not really sure why it hurts, he just knows it does.

 _“It’s like he still just sees me as a friend… even after we-”_ Shigure’s thought is cut off When Inigo starts speaking to him.

     “Man… talking to people is still so hard,” Inigo says. There’s a pause. “I know I know. ‘Inigo, maybe if you weren’t flirting all the time and tried talking like a normal person, it would be easier because you’d get rejected less!’. Trust me, it’s not easier. If anything it’s harder. At least when I’m flirting I usually know what reaction I’m going to get. I can prepare for it. When it’s just talk, you never know what might happen,” he continues, smiling at Shigure. Shigure isn’t sure what to say.

     “People make you nervous?” he asks after a bit.

     “Yeah. Kiran says it’s something called ‘social anxiety’. She says she knows a lot of people in her world who have it. Weird isn’t it? I thought I was just shy, but no! She says it’s something to do with my brain just being a nervous wreck. Guess that explains why I used to cry and panic whenever I’d try to buy food from a vendor!” Inigo laughs. Shigure is legitimately surprised. Inigo has never shared something so personal with him before. His surprise makes him lose track of his purpose once again.

     “Anyway, what’s up with you Shigure?” Inigo breaks the stunned silence. Shigure is snapped back to his senses.

     “Oh! Right. Um… well... “ he lowers his voice before continuing “I wanted to take you up on your offer. From last week. You said all I had to do was ask. Well, I’m asking. I want to try something out with you…” he feels his face heat up as he speaks, but he manages to keep his cool. Inigo grins widely and fights back a loud laugh of delight.

     “Hahaa!! I wondered when you were gonna take me up on that! Thought you forgot or something! Man, guys are so much easier than girls!” Inigo says. Shigure frowns slightly at his last comment. He doesn’t like the idea of just being a successful wooing with no deeper meaning. Once again, he’s not sure why he feels this way about it. Inigo seems to catch the look on his face.

     “Don’t worry, I’m just messing around. Yeah, we can hook up again! You free tonight?” Inigo asks, almost a little too loudly for Shigure’s comfort.

     “Yeah. I’m free,” Shigure says. He’s still not sure about it being called a “hook up” though. Still, it’s an opportunity to be with Inigo again, so he’s taking it.

     “Great! I’ll meet you in your room then after the sun sets!” Inigo says in a cheery tone. Shigure nods in agreement, then gets up. He heads off to his next task of the day. He knows the anticipation of tonight is going to bug him the rest of the day.

     That night, Shigure is waiting in his room. He looks out his window, watching the sun slowly set. _“Almost time…”_ he thinks as he sees only a sliver of orange left in the sky.

     Soon the sun sets fully, and it’s not long before Shigure hears a knock at his door. He quickly gets up and opens it. Right on time, it’s Inigo. This time, he’s dressed in simple clothes rather than his dancer outfit. Shigure doesn’t mind that Inigo isn’t dressed up. They’ll be taking their clothes off after all.

     “Hey, come on in,” Shigure steps out of the way so Inigo can enter. Once he’s inside, Shigure closes the door, locking it. He stands there for a moment, thinking about what is about to happen. Inigo’s voice snaps him out of it.

     “So! What do you want to do? Another ride? A quick blowjob?” Inigo gets right to the point.

     “No no… none of that,” Shigure says.

     “Oooh something else~ What were you thinking, Sugar?” Inigo chuckles. Shigure is caught off guard by the nickname, but quickly recovers.

     “I want you to uh… Gods, how do I put it…” Shigure struggles. Inigo waits patiently with a smile.

     “I want you to… go… in me,” Shigure feels weird saying such lewd things.

     “Aaaaaaah alright~ Wanna give taking dick a try I see~ What got you so interested?” Inigo asks in a playful tone. Shigure blushes.

     “I… experimented…” is all he’s willing to say. Inigo lets out a hearty laugh.

     “Haha!! Excellent! I knew it was a good idea to leave the lube with you!” Inigo beams. Shigure is a bit shocked. He didn’t think Inigo left the flask in his room on purpose.

     “Anyway! Let’s get right to it! I think you’re gonna enjoy it, Sugar! Go on and get yourself comfortable!” there he goes again with that nickname. Shigure decides to not question it and gets on his bed. He lies down, getting comfortable and relaxed.

     “All set?” Inigo asks.

     “Yes,” Shigure says, once again being a little quick to answer. He’s really eager. Shigure feels Inigo climb onto the bed, crawling his way on top of Shigure. He quickly finds himself staring intently at Inigo’s face. He notices just how… pretty Inigo’s features really are. His thoughts are soon cut off when Inigo leans in to kiss Shigure.

     Inigo really amps up the passion this time. He gently cups Shigure’s cheek as he kisses him. He caresses Shigure’s soft skin with his thumb, hearing him make a soft noise in the process. Though Inigo enjoys the sensation of Shigure’s lips on his, he knows he must do more than just this.

     Shigure is left almost breathless when Inigo finally breaks the kiss. He can feel his heart racing already. Shigure feels Inigo’s thumb gently glide across his lips before moving off his face. Shigure is about to ask for more when Inigo leans in again, this time going for the top of his neck. He feels Inigo’s warm lips gently meet his skin, making him shiver. Shigure tilts his head so it’s easier for Inigo to reach.

     Inigo lingers at the top of Shigure’s neck, starting out gentle. He decides to get a little more adventurous, however. He lightly nips at the skin, causing Shigure to make a surprised noise. Inigo follows the nip with a slow lick, then a kiss. He moves down, kissing and licking at Shigure’s neck, occasionally nipping just so he can hear that noise again.

     It’s almost torturous for Shigure. They’ve barely started and already he wants to tear his clothes off and beg Inigo to take him right there. Thankfully for him, Inigo seems to want to move things along too.

     Without leaving Shigure’s neck, Inigo begins to expose him. He only moves when he has to pull the tunic over Shigure’s head and get it off. He’s quick to return to his place once it’s discarded. Inigo’s hands explore Shigure’s body, loving how he squirms from the touch. He moves his lips away from Shigure’s neck finally, trailing to his chest, then to his abdomen. He stops just short of Shigure’s pants, lifting his head away and sitting upright. Inigo’s hands settle on Shigure’s hips, rubbing them softly.

     “Mmmn… you got a nice curve to you~ Not something you see in too many guys~” Inigo purrs. Shigure isn’t sure if it’s a compliment or not. He decides to take it as one, seeing that Inigo likes the feature. He watches as Inigo strips him of his pants and underwear. He feels hands rub and squeeze his thighs, tease around his crotch without truly touching where he wants, taunt him and turn him on without relief. Shigure only whines, unable to find any words.

     “Getting antsy, are you?” Inigo teases. “Alright, alright. I’ll get you prepared~” he says, reaching for the flask. Inigo coats his fingers delicately, making sure Shigure can see it all. Once he’s got that covered, he sets the flask down and gets to work.

     Shigure makes a funny squeak when he feels Inigo slide in a finger. It’s different when it’s someone else doing it. He opens his legs more so it’s easier for Inigo to do his job. He tries to stay calm and in control, until Inigo finds that sweet spot. Shigure moans before he can stop it.

     “Found it~!” Inigo proudly proclaims, then proceeds to keep rubbing the spot. He slides in a second finger, focusing on stretching Shigure out a bit. Still, he makes sure to prod at that sweet spot every now and again, if only to hear Shigure moan.

     Shigure is growing more impatient. He knows he needs to be prepped, but the wait is excruciating. Especially when Inigo keeps teasing him like this. He wants to tell Inigo to hurry things along, but he keeps getting cut off by Inigo pushing on that sensitive spot. Eventually, Inigo pulls his fingers out.

     “There, that should be good. Now it’s time for you to get me ready~” Inigo purrs. Shigure gives him a quizzical look.

     “Get you ready?”

     “Yeah man! Can’t fuck you senseless with a flaccid dick, now can I?” Inigo clarifies. Shigure finds his wording a bit crude, but he has a point. “Come on, Sugar. Get my clothes off~” Inigo beckons. Shigure nods, sitting up before moving over to Inigo.

     Shigure goes for the shirt first. He timidly pushes it up and slides it over Inigo’s head. He pauses to admire Inigo’s body. He tentatively touches his chest. Shigure gets the urge to kiss him all over, but resists it. He feels Inigo rub his back encouragingly. Shigure takes a deep breath, then keeps going. He pulls off Inigo’s pants, underwear quickly following. He stares at the half hard cock before him, nervous about proceeding. _“It can’t be that much different from doing it to yourself,”_ he thinks, then grabs ahold of it.

     Inigo watches with a lustful look as Shigure strokes him. As he gets harder, he decides to encourage Shigure to experiment a little more. “Why don’t you give it a taste~?” he suggests. He sees Shigure’s already flushed face get even redder, but he doesn’t protest. In fact he decides to go for it.

     Shigure’s not nearly as experienced or sexually confident as Inigo. Still, he wants to try. He remembers what Inigo did to him that day backstage. That felt really good. He figures he’ll start with that. His lips wrap around the head of Inigo’s dick and he begins to suck on it lightly. The taste is odd, but he pushes through it. He figures he’ll get used to it.

     Inigo feels an odd sense of pride when he catches onto the fact that Shigure’s mimicking what he did. The guy is a fast learner, that’s for sure. He watches Shigure take more, gaining confidence. Inigo lets him keep going until he’s fully hard. Maybe a little longer than that. Until he remembers how he deepthroated Shigure. Gods, there’s no way a first time dick sucker could pull that off. He decides he should probably stop Shigure before he attempts it.

     “Mmmn… alright Sugar, that’s enough~” Inigo purrs. Shigure stops sucking, slowly taking his mouth off Inigo. He almost can’t believe he did that. He wipes his mouth, sitting back up. He feels Inigo caress his face again.

     “You ready for the real fun?” Inigo checks. Shigure nods eagerly. “Good. Lie back down. Spread your legs. Relax. You’ll do great~” Inigo says with a smile.

     Shigure follows Inigo’s directions. He lies back and opens his legs. It’s hard for him to relax, but he tries anyway. He hears Inigo grab the lubricant flask again and open it. Shigure figures he’s coating his dick in the stuff. He hears Inigo set it back down, then feels a pair of hands on his thighs.

     Inigo gets himself into position. His cock is prodding at Shigure, ready to go in. “Just a warning. Since it’s your first time, it might be uncomfortable. Even with all the prep,” he warns. He sees Shigure nod. Inigo smiles at him, then slowly starts to push his way in.

     It’s bigger than Shigure expected. He gasps as he feels himself get stretched out. His hands grip the sheets, and his eyes squeeze shut. He feels Inigo stop about halfway in.

     “You alright?” Inigo asks, noticing the look of discomfort on Shigure’s face.

     “Yeah… I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Just need a moment,” Shigure manages to say. Inigo nods and hold still. He’s willing to wait as long as he has to for Shigure to be comfortable. He feels Shigure twitch around him as he gets used to the feeling. It’s tempting for Inigo to move, but he doesn’t want to betray Shigure’s obvious trust in him.

     Minutes pass, and Shigure finally feels more comfortable. He opens his eyes and releases his grip on the sheets. He looks at Inigo. “Ok. I’m alright now. You can move,” he says, trying to not sound desperate. He sees Inigo smile, then feels him push the rest of the way in.

     Inigo starts off slow, wanting to ease Shigure into it. He’s impressed by how well he’s doing. He doesn’t hear a word of complaint from Shigure, only soft whimpers and moans. Inigo bends over, both hands holding Shigure’s head still, forehead pressing against his. He makes firm eye contact with Shigure as he fucks him slowly. He listens to each shaky breath and gasp that leaves Shigure’s mouth. Inigo whispers quiet words of encouragement to him.

     It takes time for Shigure to get accustomed to even the slow thrusts. Once he does, though, he feels a large amount of pleasure. Suddenly he wants more out of Inigo. Rougher, faster. He doesn’t know why he wants it, but he wants Inigo to make him his.

     “Inigo... “

     “Yes Sugar?”

     “Please… go faster. Harder…” Shigure barely gets the words out before Inigo obliges.

     Inigo rolls his hips roughly into Shigure, making sure to hit that sweet spot inside him. As expected, Shigure practically wails. Inigo feels Shigure’s arms wrap around his waist, nails digging into his back. Inigo chuckles. This boy was dirtier than he first thought.

     Shigure can feel his body start to shake from the pleasure. He’s not even close to climax and he’s shaking! He feels Inigo kiss him roughly, his thrusts getting faster. Shigure squirms and moans against Inigo’s lips. He whines when Inigo pulls away and lifts himself up.

     Inigo adjusts his position. He sits up, one hand clutching Shigure’s thigh, the other firmly grasping his hip. He starts pulling Shigure into each buck of his hips, watching as he gets completely lost in the pleasure.

     If Shigure could have hearts in his eyes, he most definitely would at this point. He shakily reaches down with one hand, grabbing onto his own dick. He’s not sure if it’s a good idea or a bad one, because as soon as he begins stroking, his body violently spasms from pleasure. His other hand rests above his head, grasping at the sheets as he gets fucked out of his mind.

     Inigo loves watching Shigure turn into a fucking mess. It’s so hot to him. Seeing how sensitive Shigure is to stimulation only makes Inigo want to ravage him more. He can feel Shigure squeezing him, movements growing more desperate. Inigo senses he must be getting close. Suddenly he gets an almost torturous idea.

     Shigure feels Inigo slowly come to a stop. Shigure is confused, looking at Inigo with begging eyes. He wants to ask why he stopped, but doesn’t get the chance to.

     “Go on, finish yourself off on me~” Inigo instructs, rubbing Shigure’s thighs teasingly.

     Shigure takes a moment to understand what he’s being told to do. He stares, wide eyed and flustered, but soon he begins to move his hips. It takes him a bit to figure out what feels best to him, but once he has it, he picks up the pace.

     “Gods look at you. You fucking love this!” Inigo teases as he watches Shigure fuck himself on Inigo’s cock. Inigo feels his own peak building, but is confident that Shigure will finish first. With how the guy is moving and stroking his own dick, he won’t last long.

     Inigo is absolutely right about Shigure not lasting long. One more good buck of the hips is all it takes. When Shigure feels it coming, he forces himself to take Inigo fully. His back arches as his orgasm moves through him. He wants to scream, but all that comes out is a strangled whimper. He feels himself shoot off, coating his hands, abs, and even his chest.

     As Shigure’s climax starts winding down, Inigo begins to fuck him furiously again. He knows full well that Shigure is extremely sensitive in this state. Shigure seems to legitimately freak out as it happens, babbling nonsense and spasming. It manages to get a few more spurts of cum out of him. Inigo can’t hold himself back anymore. He buries himself in Shigure and fills him up, letting out a moan as it happens.

     Shigure is still shaking by the time his orgasm dies down. He hardly registers Inigo pulling out of him and cleaning him up. His mind is in an absolute fog of ecstasy. He can’t even hear Inigo talking to him right away.

     “Sugar. Sugar! Shigure!” Inigo calls out. Using Shigure’s actual name gets him to respond. Shigure looks over at the source of the voice.

     “Ah, there you are. Worried I fucked you stupid for a minute there,” Inigo jokes. “How do you feel?” he asks.

     “Fantastic~” Shigure practically moans out. Inigo isn’t even touching him anymore and he’s still reeling.

     “You want me to stay here with you again?” Inigo asks. Shigure nods.

     “If it’s… not any trouble anyway…” Shigure pants.

     “It’s no trouble at all my friend! Just let me put on some pants first. Get you covered too. Hang tight,” Inigo lightly pats Shigure on the chest before going to grab their clothes.

 _“After all that I’m still just a friend to him?”_ Shigure wonders. He gets lost in the thought, barely registering as Inigo helps get him dressed. Shigure regains enough energy to slowly crawl under the sheets. He’s starting to feel really tired. A little sore too. He lies on his side, feeling Inigo get in behind him.

     Inigo puts an arm around Shigure, pulling him in close. He kisses the back of Shigure’s head. He drifts off before Shigure does.  
_“A friend…”_ Shigure thinks as he hears Inigo’s soft breathing, feeling his bare chest against his back. _“Why does it hurt so much to be called his friend?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect less sex from this point on. Future chapters will focus more on relationship building between Inigo and Shigure.


	5. Love and (Near) Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shigure figures out why he's been feeling so strange, and faces a horrific test of these feelings.

     The sun rises slowly, rays peeking through Shigure’s window. He begins to wake up when the sun hits his face. He can hear birds singing, the wind blowing softly. It’s lovely. What’s more lovely to him is that he’s sharing this moment with Inigo.

     At some point in the night, Inigo and Shigure switched up their positions. Now it’s Shigure who’s holding Inigo. He’s not sure when this happened, but he doesn’t question it at all. It feels nice.

     He can tell Inigo is still asleep. Shigure takes the opportunity to really experience the closeness. He presses his face gently against Inigo’s neck. He takes a deep breath. Shigure can smell the lingering scent of floral perfumes. He figures Inigo puts them on for performances. Whatever the reason, Shigure loves it.

     He moves his face, his cheek now resting on Inigo’s head. His soft gray hair brushes Shigure’s skin. He smiles softly. He feels like he could stay like this all day. Holding Inigo, admiring him.

     His hand trails down Inigo’s side, resting on his hip. Shigure may have been complimented for his hips, but he feels Inigo’s are far nicer. He’s a dancer after all. Having nice hips makes everything better.

     Inigo begins to stir. Shigure moves a bit when he feels him trying to roll over. He watches Inigo roll onto his back, notice Shigure, then roll to his side to face him. Shigure is greeted with a sweet, tired smile.

     “Morning,” is the first thing Inigo says. Shigure smiles at him.

     “Morning to you too,” he greets back. He gets lost staring at Inigo’s features. Those large, gentle eyes that were so beautifully adorned with long eyelashes. His soft lips, thicker than what most men had and with a distinct cherry tinge. Inigo’s eyebrows that are bold, and could be even more so if they weren’t regularly plucked and groomed. Cheeks soft and full, yet he retained a defined jaw. Shigure could stare at him for hours it feels like.

     Eventually, Inigo decides he needs to get up, breaking Shigure’s trance. Sort of. Shigure sits up in order to watch Inigo. He tries to play it off like he’s not staring, but he definitely is. Inigo either isn’t aware or doesn’t mind the attention.

     Shigure watches Inigo dress in silence for a while, then he decides to get his own clothes on.

     “So how do you feel? Sore at all?” Inigo asks while Shigure clothes himself. Shigure has his shirt literally covering his face when Inigo asks, and sighs because that’s a terrible time to be asked a question.

     “Somewhat, but it’s not terrible. I’ll be fine,” Shigure says once he uncovers his face.

     “That’s good. I remember my first time taking a dick. I couldn’t walk right afterwards, haha! You took it like a champ though!” Inigo compliments. Shigure awkwardly looks away.

     “Thanks… I suppose,” Shigure is still not so confident when it comes to sex.

     “Well! I’m gonna go get breakfast. See you in the mess hall!” Inigo says, then makes his exit. Shigure takes a long breath once he’s alone.

     “What is going on with me?” he asks himself quietly. He can’t seem to get enough of Inigo. How did he go from hardly touching another person to actively seeking out intimacy with Inigo? It’s all so bizarre to him.

     His mind searches desperately for answers. Is it just physical lust? No, that doesn’t sound right. If it were just lust, then why does it hurt when Inigo treats him like a friend? Why does he keep desiring more? Not just physically, but emotionally. Shigure is already close to Inigo in the emotional sense, but still he feels something is missing. Nothing his brain comes up with seems right, until a single, brief thought comes into view.

 _“You’re in love,”_ is all the thought says, but it’s more than enough. Shigure’s eyes widen in realization. How had he not seen it before?! Of course it’s love! How can it be anything else? It makes so much sense. Why he seeks Inigo out so much. Why he wants to be doted on by him. Why it hurts so much to be only a friend to him. The joy of realization overtakes Shigure, and he smiles.

     That joy is soon replaced by fear, however. What if Inigo doesn’t feel the same? It’s likely after all, considering what he’s said about their intimacy. Treating it like it’s just a friends with benefits situation. Yet Shigure feels the need to say something. Even if Inigo doesn’t return the feelings, keeping them inside like this isn’t a good idea. Shigure knows this. He knows it’ll hurt if he’s rejected, but at least he’ll have said what he feels. Not only that, but in the end, Shigure wants Inigo to be happy. If that means being romantically involved with someone else, then Shigure can accept that.

     He comes to a solid conclusion. He’ll confess his feelings. He’ll get Inigo alone somewhere, and say what’s on his mind. If he’s lucky, it’ll work out. If he’s not, well then he’s willing to remain a friend to Inigo.

     Shigure finally leaves his room, heading towards the mess hall in order to eat. He’s soon stopped by Alfonse.

     “Shigure, there you are!” he sounds urgent.

     “Oh, what is it Alfonse?”

     “I need you to get your armor on. Grab your pegasus and naginata and come to the main hall. Enemies are encroaching,” Alfonse explains. Shigure is rather surprised. Enemies aren’t usually a problem so early in the day.

     “Do I have time to eat at least?” Shigure asks.

     “Make it quick. Grab something small from the mess hall and eat while you’re getting ready. This is urgent!” Alfonse says. Shigure nods, then rushes to get prepared.

     Shigure manages to grab some fruit and make his way to the armory, eating as he goes. He grabs his Hoshidan styled armor and begins putting it on. He may have been summoned after he took up a career of singing, but he remembers how to fight. Soon he’s dressed. He grabs his naginata, grabs his pegasus from the stables, and makes his way to the main hall.

     There, Shigure sees who Kiran asked to fight the battle. He sees Myrrh, Sakura, and Inigo waiting. Shigure joins them, naturally choosing to stand next to Inigo. He glances over at him. It’s unusual for him to see Inigo in proper battle equipment and carrying a sword.

     “Alright my dudes. We got some serious fuckery on our hands!” Kiran announces once everyone’s gathered. She’s got a strange way with words, that’s for sure. “I don’t really have time to explain it all right here. We just need to get our asses out there before they get here and ruin our shit!” Alfonse gives Kiran a glare that literally everyone sees.

     Kiran leads the squad out to the field where she anticipates the enemies approaching. She turns and faces her chosen heroes, her hood obscuring her features. She opens up a map and makes everyone gather around.

     “Alright so here we are…” she points. “And here’s where all the enemies are coming from,” she points to the top of the map. “I had scouts go check them all out. They aren’t super strong, but could still do serious damage if you guys aren’t careful. So be careful, is what I’m saying.” everyone nods as she speaks.

     “Alright now here’s what we’re gonna do. Shigure!”

     “Yes, Summoner!”

     “You go this way.” Kiran points to the western area of the map. “If the scouts are right, you’ll have an advantage over the dudes there. And best part, no bow users. Take them all out!” she commands.

     “Yes ma’am!” Shigure agrees.

     “Inigo!!” Kiran calls.

     “Yes!”

     “You’re going this way!” she points to an area not too far off from Shigure. “Again, you should have an advantage. HOWEVER!!! There might be some little assassin type fuckos who will come in and try to ambush you. Keep your eyes peeled. Shigure, you go help Inigo once you’ve taken out your dudes!” both boys nod.

     “Myrrh! Sakura!”

     “Yes, Summoner!” both girls say at almost the same time.

     “You two stick together. You both tend to get overwhelmed by yourselves. You go this way.” Kiran points to the eastern part of the map. “When you guys finish up, meet up with the boys. Help them if they’re still fighting. Boys, same goes for you. When you’re done, find the girls and help them if they need it!” she instructs. Everyone nods and voices their agreement.

     “Alright. That settles it! Go out and kick some ass my dudes!!” Kiran shouts. Alfonse is fed up.

     “Kiran will you PLEASE stop swearing?!” Kiran responds to Alfonse’s request by putting up her middle finger and quite literally shoving it in Alfonse’s face. He slaps her hand away. The team just kind of ignores what she’s doing and heads to their positions.

     Shigure reaches his position in little time. Sure enough, he spots his opponents. A small group of enemies. Shigure swoops down upon them, challenging them to battle. Individually, they aren’t too hard. Together, they’re more formidable. Shigure is kept on his toes, having to dodge and pay attention to where each enemy is at any given moment. It grows easier as he begins to cut them down. He hates having to hurt others like this, but he’s sworn to protect Askr.

     He defeats the last enemy he’s assigned to, and begins to make his way towards Inigo’s location. As he grows closer, his ears are suddenly hit with a sound. A sound that makes him feel cold with fear. A scream. More specifically, a scream from Inigo. Shigure orders his pegasus to rush towards the sound. When he arrives, the sight makes him stop in his tracks.

     Shigure sees Inigo, grappling with an enemy. One of the assassins that Kiran warned about. Inigo is desperately trying to wrench something out of the assassin’s hands, but she’s putting up a fight. Shigure can’t see what it is at first, Inigo’s holding it too close to his side. Then, Shigure gets a glimpse of it. A dagger. Worse, the dagger is already embedded into Inigo’s left side. He’s trying to get the assassin to let go of it so she can’t pull it out and cause Inigo to start bleeding everywhere. Shigure lands his pegasus, but is frozen from doing anything out of fear. Inigo hears the sound of the pegasus landing, and looks over to see Shigure. He’s about to call Shigure into action when…

     The assassin takes her opportunity. While Inigo is distracted and his grip is loosened, she pulls out the dagger. Not in one clean pull either. No, she first digs deeper into Inigo’s abdomen, then drags the weapon to the right as she removes it. This creates a horrid, deep gash. Inigo screams in pain, clutching the gash in hopes of stopping the bleeding. Shigure watches in horror as Inigo falls to his knees. He sees the assassin prepare for another attack, a fatal blow.

     “NO!!” Shigure shouts. His voice startles the assassin, and she begins to run. Shigure, no longer frozen in a panic, charges after her. She may be fast, but she can’t outrun a pegasus. Shigure catches up to her, plunging his naginata into her back. He sees the blade pierce right through her, sticking right out of her chest. He waits until he’s absolutely sure she’s dead, then kicks her body off his blade. He doesn’t even feel any remorse. He scowls at the body when he remembers why he went after her. His enraged haze almost made him forget. He quickly rushes back to where Inigo is.

     When he returns, he sees Inigo lying on his back, blood gushing from the wound. Shigure jumps off his pegasus’s back and bolts to Inigo’s side. He kneels down, panicked.

     “No no no no….” he mutters, seeing just how bad it is up close. Desperate, Shigure puts his hands on the injury, applying pressure. He hopes he can at least slow the bleeding. He’s not sure if it’s helping. His hands are just getting coated in Inigo’s blood. Still, he can feel Inigo breathing, albeit lightly, so Shigure knows he’s alive. Despite being on the verge of bleeding out, Shigure can see that Inigo is still smiling. Shigure is so focused that he doesn’t notice that Myrrh and Sakura have come until Sakura speaks.

     “OH MY GOODNESS!” Sakura gasps. Shigure looks up, tears streaming down his face. Myrrh looks like she might be sick. Sakura, despite being mostly desensitized to the sight of gruesome injury, is still shocked. Sakura rushes over, sitting on the other side of Inigo.

     “Shigure… l-l-le-et me take care of this!” she insists, her stutter acting up in her panic. She puts her hands on the wound, allowing Shigure to remove his. Shigure willingly lets the healer do her job. He stands and takes a few steps back, watching her use her staff on Inigo. Shigure feels someone hugging him. He looks down. It’s Myrrh, both seeking comfort and trying to comfort Shigure.

     It doesn’t take long for Sakura to stabilize Inigo. Once she’s done, she stands up. “There… th-th-at should do. F-f-fo-for now…” she’s still stuttering. “It’s not perf-fect but the bleeding has sto-o-opped. Be careful though. Move-ove him too much and the wound might o-op-open up again…” she explains to Shigure. Shigure nods, his tears slowing.

     He moves to where Inigo lies. It’s obvious that he’s passed out from blood loss. The wound is still not pretty to look at, but it’s not bleeding anymore thanks to Sakura. Carefully, he starts to take Inigo into his arms. It’s difficult, seeing as he can’t jostle Inigo too much and the fact that he’s currently dead weight, but he manages. He starts walking towards where Kiran, Alfonse, and Sharena are waiting. He calls for his pegasus to follow. The girls and the steed follow closely behind Shigure.

     Shigure doesn’t know how long the trip back takes. It feels like an eternity. His mind is foggy, his heart is pounding. If he wasn’t running on adrenaline right now, he’s sure his arms would be tired at this point. He doesn’t care. He just wants Inigo safe. Finally, Kiran, Alfonse, and Sharena come into view. When they see what’s happened, they’re in shock. They urge the team back to the castle to get Inigo properly taken care of.

     Even going back to the castle, Shigure is only half aware. It’s like he’s not in control of himself. Somehow, he manages to get Inigo to the infirmary. He lets the healers take care of him. Shigure needs to wash the blood off his gear.

     It takes hours to clean it all off. Shigure can’t let any of it remain, however. He wants no reminder of what he witnessed. His persistence pays off. Soon it’s like there was never any blood to begin with. Still, Shigure knows there was blood. No amount of cleaning could change that. People try talking to him, asking him what happened. Trying to explain only chokes him up more.

     His haze slowly fades as the day goes on. Shigure is still haunted by it though. He came so close to losing Inigo before he could say anything to him. By the time evening comes, Shigure finds himself back at the infirmary. He needs to know how Inigo is doing. He finds one of the healers and stops her.

     “How is Inigo?” he asks urgently. The healer sighs.

     “He lost a lot of blood, but Sakura’s actions saved him. He’s awake now. He needs to be left to heal naturally for some time before magic can be used again. If you want to go see him, you may. He’s right in that room over there,” the woman points to a nearby door. Shigure thanks her and swiftly heads to it.

     He opens the door slowly as to not startle Inigo. Shigure sees him lying on a bed, shirt removed, bandaging on his waist. There is a bit of blood staining the bandages, but it’s nothing compared to earlier. Inigo notices Shigure, smiling weakly.

     “Ah… was wondering if you’d visit me,” he says in an exhausted voice. Shigure just nods, sitting in a chair next to the bed. There’s silence for some time.

     “I was terrified, Inigo…” Shigure finally says, his voice quiet. “I thought you were going to die…”

     “Ha… I thought I was too. Glad I didn’t,” Inigo says, still trying to retain some semblance of cheeriness. Shigure finds it admirable that Inigo can see it that way. More silence follows. Shigure contemplates whether he should just say it now. He may not get another chance.

     “Inigo, I need to tell you something…” Shigure says tentatively.

     “Oh yeah? What is it?”

     “Inigo… I… I’m-” Shigure’s horribly interrupted by the door opening.

     “INIGO MY BABY!!” it’s Olivia, rushing over to the bed. She hugs Inigo’s head and kisses it multiple times.

     “Ahhh!! Mom!! You interrupted!!” Inigo whines. Olivia releases her grip.

     “Oh! I’m so sorry!”

     “Hahaha, it’s fine!” Inigo looks back at Shigure. “What were you going to say?” Shigure freezes. He can’t say it now. Not in front of someone else. He needs to be alone with Inigo.

     “Ah.. it’s nothing. Just sappy friend stuff…” he lies. Inigo buys it, laughing. Olivia and him start talking again, leaving Shigure is an awkward place. He decides it’s best if he comes another time.

     “I should go… I still have some work I need to do...” he says, standing up.

     “Alright! See you around, Shigure!” Inigo waves. Shigure nods, then heads out. He decides to try again tomorrow.

     Days come and go, Inigo remaining in the infirmary. Shigure visits him every day. Sometimes he comes with gifts. Food, some flowers, a book for Inigo to read. He tries to send subtle message to Inigo without outright saying he’s in love with him. Inigo doesn’t seem to catch on. It doesn’t stop Shigure from trying. He finds himself spending hours doting on Inigo as he recovers, keeping him as happy as he can. He even tries to make plans to hang out with him after he’s healed.

     One evening, Shigure comes to Inigo’s room later than usual. The sun has already set. Shigure had been busy all day, only just now getting around to visiting. He’s brought a painting he made for Inigo. He opens the door, disappointed when he sees that Inigo is already asleep. Shigure sighs, setting the painting down on a table and sitting in the chair next to the bed. He’s glad to see Inigo recovering so well. Shigure stares at him for a while, then reaches out and gently caresses his hand.

     “I wish I could just say it. What I feel…” Shigure says, despite knowing that Inigo can’t hear him. He squeezes Inigo’s hand lightly. “I only wish to tell you how much I love you, Inigo…” he mutters, leaning in to kiss Inigo’s forehead. Shigure stays for a moment longer before leaving the room. He’s frustrated that the only time he gets the words out are when Inigo is asleep.

     However, what Shigure isn’t aware of is that Inigo wasn’t fully asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I took a few liberties here. Gameplay and story segregation really. I know in Heroes singer Shigure and regular Shigure are separate, and Inigo only shows up as a dancer and as "Laslow", but whatever. Also I gave Sakura a proper neurological stutter.


	6. Running from Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo heard what Shigure said to him. Now he's confused about his own feelings. Does he truly love Shigure back? If he does, has he ruined his chances of being with him?

     When Inigo wakes the next day, he rapidly sits up. A little too quickly in fact. He’s still sore from where he was cut.

     “Oh.. ow ow ow... “ he mutters, grabbing his side. It hurts, but it doesn’t bleed. He’s healed quite a lot. He breathes slowly until the pain subsides. He releases his side, sighing and looking out the window. It looks like it’s going to be a lovely day.

 _“Wait… did Shigure say he LOVED me?!”_ he thinks, eyes widening. No, that can’t be right. Can it? Did Shigure even visit? Inigo looks around the room for evidence of his presence. He spots the painting Shigure left. Awkwardly, Inigo gets out of his bed and hobbles over to the table, picking the painting up.

     It’s a beautiful image. A still life of gorgeous flowers. The flowers are deep indigo and sky blue, arranged among one another. On one side of the vase, one of Inigo’s dancer rings is placed. On the other side, Shigure’s songbook. The more Inigo looks at it, the more he feels faint. He makes his way back to the bed, painting in hand.

 _“I wasn’t just dreaming… he really loves me…”_ Inigo thinks. He feels panic rising within him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Shigure wasn’t supposed to fall in love. It was supposed to be a purely physical thing! Inigo feels the anxiety getting worse. Gods it’s been a long time since he’s panicked like this.

 _“Slow breaths Inigo, slow breaths…”_ he reminds himself, slowing his breathing again and closing his eyes. Once the majority of panic is gone, Inigo tries to think of what to do.

 _“What do I do? What do I say?”_ he thinks. It’s not so much that he’s repulsed by the idea, it’s just that he doesn’t know if he feels the same way. Inigo speaks so often about he “loves” pretty girls and such that he’s not sure what genuine love even feels like.

     Hours go by with no progress on a plan. He’s dismissed from the infirmary finally, though he can’t battle just yet. He decides a walk around the castle might help. It doesn’t. He just runs into Shigure.

_“Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me. Please don’t-”_

     “Inigo!”

 _“Dammit”_ he’s been caught. He tries to play it cool, smiling at Shigure. He watches as Shigure approaches him, clearly very happy to see him walking.

     “You’ve been released!” Shigure sounds so happy. It makes Inigo all the more nervous.

     “Yeah! Can’t fight or train yet, but at least I’m not in that room anymore!” he grins despite his anxiety.

     “Ah, well there’s still plenty to do. I don’t have much going on if you want to do something. Go into town, visit the lake, or just relax,” Shigure suggests.

 _“Gods, he’s asking me out. Shit!”_ Inigo scrambles to find some excuse. “Ah… I would Shigure but… since I’ve been in the infirmary so long, my chores have all piled up and such, y’know?” he finally finds one.

     “That’s fair. Maybe another time then,” Shigure says. Inigo is surprised by his acceptance. He says his goodbyes and hurries off.

     Inigo continues to make excuses whenever Shigure tries to get him alone. Shigure tries at least once a day to get Inigo to go out with him. Each time, Inigo finds some sort of excuse to not go. It gets to the point where Inigo starts actively avoiding places where he knows Shigure will likely be. He hates it. He hates doing this to Shigure. He knows he’s in love and instead of just letting him say what he wants, Inigo is avoiding him. He just doesn’t know what else to do.

     One day, Inigo tries to calm his mind with some dancing. The ballroom is nice and empty. A perfect place to practice. He puts on his dancer gear and starts practicing. _“Would be nice if I had some music,”_ he thinks, immediately thinking of Shigure singing as he dances. He shakes his head to dispel the thought. He finds himself making mistakes frequently. Moves he could normally nail, he screws up. He grows increasingly frustrated with each attempt. Eventually, he just gives up. Inigo walks over to a bench, picking up a flask of water he brought and sitting down.

     As Inigo drinks, Kiran comes walking in. For once, her hood is down, revealing her messy brown pixie cut and sky blue eyes. She's incredibly short and frail looking underneath all those robes. She spots Inigo and jumps in surprise.

     “Shit! Sorry didn’t know you were in here!”

     Inigo sets his flask down before speaking. “Practicing my dancing. No big deal,” he assures her.

     “Ah, cool. Cool,” she walks over and takes a seat next to Inigo. The two sit in silence for some time. Kiran idly taps her fingers against the bench, as if she were playing a piano.

     “You’re being weird dude. Quiet. Thought you’d be trying to hit on me by this point,” she laughs. Inigo just shrugs.

     “You’ve said you don’t date. More than once. Why would I bother?” he responds.

     “My dude, being uninterested has not stopped you in the past. What the fuck is up? Someone finally tie you down?” she presses. Inigo shakes his head.

     “Not… exactly…” he says awkwardly.

     “Got your eyes on someone?”

     “It’s… complicated, Kiran,” he sighs. She gives him a concerned look.

     “Look man, normally I’d be happy that you settled the fuck down and stopped hitting on everyone. But you’re acting weirder in other ways too. What’s bothering you?” she questions persistently. Inigo sighs in defeat.

     “Kiran, what do you do when someone is in love with you, but you’re not sure if you feel the same way?” he asks, hoping she’ll clear things up for him. Kiran puffs her cheeks.

     “Hoooo boy. I dunno Inigo. I’ve had people fall for me, but I’ve always known that I didn’t love them back,” she explains. Inigo lowers his head. “That’s not to say I can’t try to help though. I have pretty good empathy and whatnot. Besides, I tend to keep track of everyone’s relationships, romantic or otherwise. Makes things easier. I call it the ‘Support System’!”

     Inigo perks at her words. He didn’t know she keeps track of relationships. He wonders if she knows it’s Shigure who loves him.

     “Love is a weird thing, Inigo. Whether platonic or romantic, it’s messy as fuck. It’s part emotion, part commitment. Sometimes you’re gonna be infatuated with the person. Sometimes they’re gonna frustrate the hell out of you. If you stay committed though, you get through it, and you feel the passion come back. Now I’m gonna ask you some questions, alright? You gotta answer them honestly. If you gotta think, then think. And you can’t answer with ‘I don’t know’. That doesn’t help me help you. Got it?” Kiran lays out her plan. Inigo looks at her. He’s desperate for answers, so he nods.

     “Alright. First off. Do you enjoy this person’s company? Is being around them for the most part pleasant?” she asks.

     “Yes.”

     “Do you seek out their company under normal circumstances? Preferring them over others?”

     “Yes.”

     “Are you platonically intimate?”

     “Uhhh…” Inigo is confused. “Could you give me more details on that?”

     Kiran sighs. “Platonic level touches. Hugs, shoulder pats, maybe even roughhousing,” she explains.

     “Oh. Yeah. We do that,”

     “Are you romantically intimate? Do you kiss? Hold hands? Maybe have sex? If you do, do you find yourself longing to do those activities with them more?” Kiran continues. Inigo blushes slightly.

     “...Yes… to all of it…” he admits. Kiran laughs.

     “Ohohoho! Nice! Anyway. If they were to be upset, would you want to help them? Is their happiness top priority? Possibly even above your own?” she asks a hard question. Inigo has to think about it. He certainly wants Shigure to be happy. Hell, the reason he’s avoiding him is because he doesn’t want to hurt him.

     “Absolutely,” he answers after some time.

     “Does the idea of them being romantically involved with someone else hurt? Even if you would accept it for their happiness?” another hard question. Once again, Inigo must think. He’s never given it much thought. Now that he tries to though, he does find himself feeling… upset. Shigure with someone else? It didn’t feel right to him.

     “It does. Quite a bit in fact,” he says quietly. It’s as if he doesn’t want to admit it.

     “Do you trust them with personal details about yourself? Feel safe telling them such things? Like you can be open and honest about anything and that they will continue to care for you?” gods Kiran was good at this. Inigo recalls how he confessed to Shigure about his social anxiety. It’s not something he tells too many people. Only closer friends and family.

     “Definitely. I’d tell them anything they wanted to know about me,” he says, voice shaking. He thinks he knows what Kiran is going to tell him when this is all through. Still, he wants to continue. He wants her to confirm it for him.

     “Do you want to support them in their ambitions? Even if it means being apart for long periods? Even if it means sacrifice?” Inigo shifts uncomfortably now.

     “Yes... “ the answer is getting more clear to him.

     “Can you see yourself having a future with this person? Marriage? Family maybe? Growing old?” why does she have to ask such hard questions? Inigo blushes at the thought of spending his life with Shigure. Not that it sounds bad. It sounds amazing in fact.

     “... Yeah… yeah I can…”

     “Inigo my boy, I think you got it bad. You’re in love dude. Big time,” Kiran pats him on the shoulder. Inigo stares at the floor, thinking hard. It makes sense. Why was it even hard for him to see? It’s love. Plain and simple. The realization of what he’s been doing hits him hard. He puts his face in his hands in shame.

     “No… gods now I wish I wasn’t in love!” he hisses. Kiran scrunches her face, confused.

     “Why?” she asks. She thought he’d be happy with the answer.

     “Because I know he’s in love with me and now he must think that I’m not in love with him!” he cries out, uncovering his face.

     “Wait… HE?!”

     “SHIT!”

     Kiran bolts up, pointing at Inigo with a maniacal grin on her face. “I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WEREN’T FUCKING STRAIGHT!” she follows her words with a bout of loud laughter and cheering. Inigo just looks at her, absolutely puzzled by her behavior.

     “Yeah, ok, whatever, I like men too. Just don’t say anything about it, ok?!” he begs.

     “Why? No one here cares! Hell, Niles is very openly bi and the only reason people complain about him is because he’s creepy and vulgar, not because he likes dick!” she says

     “No no, it’s not because of that. He’s shy is all. I know he wouldn’t like me talking about this!” Inigo clarifies, hoping he didn’t just give away who’s in love with him.

     “.... It’s Shigure, isn’t it?” Kiran asks. Inigo droops his head in defeat. So much for not telling anyone.

     “Yes. It’s Shigure. Happy?” Inigo grumbles.

     “YOU TWO BONED?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!” Kiran is being nosy.

     “I don’t think that’s any of your business!” Inigo says, glaring.

     “Fair, fair. But what did you do that would make him think you’re not in love with him?”

     “I… he keeps asking me out… and I keep making excuses… and lately I’ve been avoiding him…” gods it sounds worse out loud.

     “Inigo you slunt, you useless gay. What the fuck my dude?!” Kiran scolds, exasperated.

     “Slunt? Do you mean… slut?” Inigo can’t proceed without an answer. The use of slunt bothers him. Being called a slut he can handle, but being called a made up word is just dumb.

     “No, it’s slunt now. Fuck you. WHY ARE YOU BEING MEAN TO THE SOFT BLUE SON?!” Kiran yells.

     “I don’t know, ok?! I… I didn’t know what to do! I panicked!” Inigo desperately tries to explain.

     “That doesn’t make it ok, man! He probably feels like you hate him! Or that you just used him for sex and tossed him aside! You know how sensitive he can be! He’s probably heartbroken!” Kiran continues to make Inigo feel worse. Inigo can feel tears pouring out his eyes.

     “I know!! I know what I’ve done! I want to fix it but I don’t know how to!” Inigo is practically sobbing now.

     “What you do is you fucking talk to him, dumbass! He’s gonna be pissed at you, but you gotta do it! You gotta go to him and fucking apologize!” Kiran shouts. She’s legitimately mad at Inigo. There’s a long silence that follows. Inigo processes all that he’s been told. He wipes the tears off his face and stands up.

     “You’re right. You’re absolutely right…” without another word, Inigo rushes out of the ballroom. He knows he can’t waste any more time.

     He needs to find Shigure. He needs to apologize and say that he loves him.


	7. Facing Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shigure, hurt, tries to figure out how to proceed. Inigo, panicked, tries to set things right between him and Shigure.

     The first rejection, Shigure understands. Expects it even. He’s sure Inigo does indeed have a lot he needs to catch up on. Best to let him get readjusted. The second rejection, much the same. He figures Inigo still hasn’t gotten himself caught up. Third, Shigure grows mildly disappointed. Still, he pushes past it. He wants Inigo to join him on his own terms. Fourth rejection, Shigure feels more let down. It can’t be taking Inigo this long to get back on track, can it? Fifth, Shigure starts to feel hurt. The idea crosses his mind that Inigo is doing this on purpose. Shigure dispels the thought, not thinking, or wanting, it to be true. It’s starting to appear true, however, as rejection after rejection follows in the passing days. Slowly, Shigure sees less of Inigo. Eventually not seeing him hardly at all.

     Shigure begins to feel his heart ache. The rare moments he does catch Inigo, he’s usually far too busy to talk, or worse, trying to flirt. He wonders if he’s done something to upset Inigo. Perhaps Inigo is just… done with him. Shigure doesn’t know which feels worse. All he wants is to say that he loves Inigo, but he won’t even talk. Not even as a friend.

     Shigure sits in one of the large open windows in a castle hall. He gazes out at the gardens. The wind blows gently on Shigure. As he stares out, he sings. It’s a solemn song, one of heartbreak. There are times where he nearly chokes on a note. Sometimes he must pause in order to collect his composure. Still, he continues. As the song comes to a close, the sensation of a tear rolling down his cheek catches his attention. He’s quick to wipe it away.

     “That was beautiful, Shigure,” a feminine voice says. Shigure lazily turns his head to the source. It’s his mother, Azura. Well, sort of. She’s not the same Azura who birthed him, but he feels a mother-son bond with her all the same. This Azura too, treats him as her son.

     Shigure just stares at her for some time, sorrow clear on his face. “Thanks…” is all he says, before looking back out the window. Azura walks closer to the window.

     “Did you write the song yourself?” she asks, calm as ever.

     “I did,” Shigure responds, his voice devoid of emotion. Azura notices how strange his behavior is. Softly, she puts a hand on his shoulder.

     “It sounded as if the song was quite personal to you,” she says, rubbing his shoulder.

     “It was…” his voice still sounds so empty. Azura knows someone hurt him. She wants to press further, but feels it’s best to let Shigure speak when he’s ready.

     “Mother… what do you do when you love someone with all your heart… would do near anything for them… but you’re not sure they feel the same to you?” he asks, emotion returning to his words.

     “What makes you think they do not love you?” she asks.

     “... Mother, if I tell you, will you promise not to speak a word of it to anyone else?” he needs to know his privacy is safe with her.

     “Of course, Shigure. Your secrets are safe with me,” she assures him. Shigure looks over at her again.

     “It’s Inigo. He is who I love,” he confesses. Azura looks rather surprised.

     “The dancer? My… I knew you were good friends with him but… how did this come about?” Azura wonders.

     “It’s been a long time coming really. I always found him quite handsome… even if I didn’t want to admit such a thing to myself…” he pauses for a good while. “Remember when I first sang in front of everyone?” he continues.

     “Yes. You did a wonderful job,”

     “Yes well… before the performance… Inigo... he…” he pauses to take a deep breath. He feels his face heating up. He already doesn’t like talking about his love life to others. Saying such things to his mother is even stranger. Thankfully for him she catches on.

     “Say no more, I understand. Did you agree to it?” she wants to make sure.

     “I did. I agreed to more too… after the show… I thought there was meaning behind to what we were doing but…” he feels the tears threatening to return. “He refused to see me as more than a friend. I could tell from how he spoke. As if I was just a toy to him. Still I thought… hoped that if I said something to him things would change. I never got to tell him. After he was released from the infirmary, I tried to get him alone. Every time, he’s turned me down. Now I feel he’s avoiding me altogether. I don’t think I’ve seen more than a glimpse of him in days…” Shigure fights back the tears, but they’re spilling out anyway. Azura understands Shigure’s pain now.

     “Shigure, come here,” she says, opening her arms to him. He’s quick to accept, getting out of the windowsill and hugging her. He’s taller, so he has to bend down a bit, but he doesn’t mind. He buries his face into her shoulder and stops holding back his tears. He allows himself to cry, to feel pain. Azura just rubs his back, letting him release the emotions pent up inside him. After some time, he lets go, and Azura releases him.

     Shigure leans up against the wall between two windows, slowly sliding down onto the floor. Azura takes a seat next to him.

     “What am I to do, mother?” he asks, his voice slightly hoarse. Azura ponders for a moment before answering.

     “He’s hurting you greatly, is he not?” she asks. Shigure nods. “Then why do you keep pursuing him? It is only bringing you more pain. Shigure, you may love him, but if he’s unwilling to return your love, then he’s not worth it.” the words sting, but Shigure understands why she’s saying them.

     “You think I should… just move on?” he sounds saddened by the idea. Azura nods.

     “You will find more love in your life. You are young. You are kind. You don’t need to waste your time on someone who would rather use you and toss you aside,” she actually sounds angry as she speaks. “But the choice is yours in the end. Maybe I’m wrong, after all. However I want you to think about what you’re going to do before you proceed.”

     “Yes… alright mother. Thank you.”

     “It’s no problem, my dear,” Azura gently kisses the top of Shigure’s head, then gets to her feet and leaves. Shigure thinks critically over her words. They are reasonable after all. However something doesn’t settle right with Shigure. The idea of just giving up and moving on. It’s hard to grasp. After some time, he comes to a compromise.

     Shigure rises to his feet, slowly making his way to his room. Once there, he gets out a small piece of paper, a pen, and some ink. He writes on the paper. A short, simple note. He allows the ink to dry before proceeding.

     He makes his way to Inigo’s quarters. He’s been there a few times in the past, so he knows where it’s located. Once there, he checks the door. It’s unlocked. Shigure opens it and heads inside. As he expected, Inigo is nowhere to be found. Shigure places the note he wrote on the nightstand, then leaves to wait for whatever happens next.

     Inigo searches for Shigure for hours. He doesn’t even get a glimpse. He tries asking around, but ends up nowhere. Soon it’s almost nightfall, and Inigo is exhausted. He’s probably cried at least 4 times already. Probably more. He’s stopped keeping track. Finally, he heads to his room, feet dragging. He opens the door lazily and enters.

     Inigo begins to change out of his dancer outfit and into some casual clothing. It’s only after he’s changed that he notices the note on his nightstand. Curiously, Inigo picks it up.

     “Meet me at the lake -Shigure” is all it reads. Inigo’s eyes widen. The lake! That must be where Shigure is! He grows frantic, wondering how long the note has been in his room, frightened that Shigure has already left the lake. Inigo bolts out of his room, not even bothering to put on any shoes.

     People are naturally curious as to wear Inigo is heading, but he has no time to explain. He needs to get to Shigure. He runs outside and makes his way to the lake. He trips over rocks, jumps over logs, and runs through brambles, but none of it matters to him. The sun has set entirely as the lake starts to come into view. Inigo doesn’t slow down. If anything he runs faster. As he breaks out of the woods he sees it. The lake. Right on its shore, Shigure sits.

     Shigure hears the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing. He turns his head and sees Inigo standing there, looking frantic and exhausted. Shigure scowls back at him. “So. You finally decided to show up,” he says sternly.

     Inigo flinches at the harshness of the words. Shigure isn’t usually one to be mean, or even stern. “I… I did. I’m here,” Inigo pants out. Shigure just scowls at him longer before turning his head back to the lake. Inigo sighs.

     “So why did you come? What made you decide to stop making excuses? Stop ignoring me?” Shigure is unbelievably bitter right now.

     “I’ve… I’ve come to apologize to you,” Inigo says. Shigure just huffs, as if he doesn’t believe him. An uncomfortable silence settles over them.

     “Shigure… I’m sorry. I really, truly am. I had heard what you said to me the night before I was let out of the infirmary. I thought I had dreamed it all. But then I saw your painting and I knew… I knew you had come. I knew you had said you loved me. And what I did was… was terrible. Cruel even. It was stupid! I regret it all! I have no excuse for it! I can explain it all I want but that doesn’t make what I did in any way alright!” Inigo apologizes, trying not to cry. Shigure doesn’t even look in his direction.

     “Then explain it. Why? Why did you do it? Why did you pull at my heart the way you did?! You saw my attraction! You knew something was there! What made you think you could kiss me… FUCK me, and for nothing to happen as a result?!” Shigure starts out cold, monotone even. As his words continue, his anger shows. Shigure doesn’t swear very often, so the impact is strong. Inigo recoils.

     “Because I was scared! I didn’t know how I felt and thought if you confessed and heard me say that to you, it’d ruin you! I thought… I thought staying away would protect you but I knew quickly that I was horribly wrong. I… I understand completely if you don’t want anything to do with me now. I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest. Just know that… I do love you, Shigure. It took me some time to figure it out, but I do!” Inigo explains. Tears stream down his face now. He doesn’t bother trying to stop them. Still, Shigure refuses to look his way.

     Shigure thinks over what he’s just heard. There’s no doubt that Inigo is sincere. The guy is a dancer, not an actor. Still, Shigure holds some resentment. The truth still stands that Inigo wounded him. Yet, he still is in love. Shigure can’t shake that. As hurt as he is, the love for Inigo remains. Shigure sighs after a long silence.

     “Inigo. Come here. Sit next to me,” Shigure invites, patting the grass next to him. Inigo hesitates for a moment. He takes the time to wipe the tears off his face. Slowly, apprehensively, he walks over and sits next to Shigure. He looks out at the star filled lake.

     “You know, I still love you. You hurt me terribly, but I still love you. I don’t know if I really should, but I do nonetheless,” Shigure says. Inigo looks at him sympathetically. “I’m glad I gave you another chance. This was the last one I was going to give you…” Shigure closes his eyes after he finishes speaking.

     “I know. I know I hurt you. I wish I could change it, but… I can’t. It’s already happened. All I can do now is promise that the future will be better,” Inigo says. Shigure finally looks at him.

     “You swear by that? You’re willing to commit yourself to be better?”

     “Yes. I know I won’t ever be perfect, but I will surely try as hard as I can. If you’ll allow me,” Inigo holds out a hand to Shigure. “Through good and bad, I want you there by my side.”

     Shigure stares at Inigo’s hand for a moment, thinking about what he’s said. Eventually, he places his hand in Inigo’s. He watches as Inigo lifts the hand to his mouth, kissing lightly.  Shigure can’t help but smile at the gesture.

     “Thank you, Shigure,” Inigo says softly. He releases Shigure’s hand slowly. Afterwards, he moves closer, putting an arm around Shigure’s waist. Inigo lays his head on his shoulder. He feels Shigure reciprocate, an arm going around Inigo’s shoulders, Shigure’s head resting against Inigo’s.

     The two sit there, comfortable with not speaking. They watch the fireflies dance around them. They listen to the frogs singing their songs in the lake. They watch the bats swoop over the lake, catching insects that hover there. The lake itself reflects the stars and the moon. It’s the perfect scene for them.

     Some time later, they decide to head back to the castle, hand in hand. They take their time, feeling rushed by nothing. They don’t even have to let go of each other when they reach the castle, as nearly everyone is already asleep or in their rooms.

     They reach Shigure’s room and lie on the bed. Inigo climbs on top of Shigure, lovingly pressing his lips to his. With one hand, his fingers interlock with Shigure’s, the other weaving into his pale blue hair. Shigure places his free hand on Inigo’s back, clutching the fabric of his tunic as they kiss. They never go farther than kissing.

     “Gods… I forgot how wonderful it feels to kiss you…” Inigo says breathlessly after he finally breaks it. Shigure smiles up at him.  

     “I missed your touch dearly, Inigo,” Shigure whispers.

     “If all goes well, you’ll never have to go too long without it again. I promise,” Inigo assures him. They share one more kiss before Inigo climbs off. He lies next to Shigure, facing him. Shigure faces him as well. Their foreheads press together, their hands intertwine. Slowly, happily, they fall asleep.

     Together, they wish to start a future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another list of alternate chapter titles:  
> "Inigo fucking fucks up"  
> "Azura is a good mom and we all love her"  
> "Inigo gets dunked on"  
> Also! The next chapter will be the last one! Stay tuned!!


	8. I Love You, Now and Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo and Shigure finally form their relationship as lovers. What happens from there?

     The relationship begins. The only ones who even know of it are Shigure and Inigo of course, along with their mothers and Kiran. All parties have agreed not to speak of it. Shigure values his privacy on things. Despite the fact that Inigo wants to proudly declare his love to as many people as possible, he respects his lover’s wishes. Of course, as with any relationship, hurdles soon appear.

     The first hurdle the two must overcome is Azura’s initial distrust of Inigo. She’s the one who tried to encourage Shigure to move on, after all. Naturally, when she hears they’ve become lovers, she gets a bit bitter. Inigo understands why. However, he seeks to improve how she sees him. Prove to her that he wants to be good to her son. His persistence pays off.

     “I know you don’t like what I did to him at first. Before we got together,” Inigo says one day while helping Azura on dish duty in the mess hall.

     “Of course I didn’t like it. I told him to stop going after you in fact,” the words sting Inigo, but he understands. “I thought you didn’t love him, and never would.”

     “Ah… I did give that impression, didn’t I?” Inigo says. Azura nods.

     “However… you’ve proven me wrong,” Azura says after a pause. Inigo stops cleaning a plate to look at her. “You’ve shown me you do love him. That you never wished to hurt him. You’ve even apologized for what you’ve done, striving to do better. It takes maturity to own up to mistakes like that, Inigo. I now believe you are a good match for Shigure,” she continues, finishing her words with a warm smile. Inigo smiles back at her before continuing his chores.

     With Azura’s eventual approval, the boys continue their bond. However, the next challenge soon presents itself. One that proves more difficult to overcome.

     Though Inigo and Shigure are for the most part secretive about their relationship, they are passionate. Whenever they find themselves alone, they take advantage of it. Even if all they can do is hold hands. For a while, this works just fine. People don’t seem to suspect anything more than friendship between them. That is until one day during show practice.

     Stage performances start becoming more popular among the heroes. It’s a great way to boost morale and showcase talents. Inigo and Shigure often perform together. Shigure will sing, and Inigo will dance. They complement one another quite well.

     They begin to practice their latest act on stage, the room empty except for them. Shigure sings a tale of two lovers from two worlds. Obviously, it’s inspired by the relationship he has with Inigo. Though Shigure doesn’t want to outright tell everyone about things, he figures a performance won’t hurt. After all, it’ll be easy to convince the viewers that it’s all an act.

     As Shigure begins to sing, Inigo dances. At first, Inigo keeps his distance from Shigure, but his dances show an urge to get closer. Towards the middle of the song, Inigo begins to move in and interact with Shigure, as if trying to engage him and catch his attention. As things continue, Shigure joins Inigo in dance, singing as he goes. Shigure may be a singer, but when given choreography, he can dance quite well. The moves are passionate, befitting of the song.

     The song starts coming to a close, and Inigo pulls Shigure close to him. The last note of the song leaves Shigure’s mouth as he faces Inigo, hand in hand with him. When he finishes, he presses his forehead to Inigo’s. Since they are alone, they conclude the performance with a kiss. It’s not something they plan to do on stage, but it’s still nice to do during practice. What they don’t realize is that they aren’t alone.

     Sharena and Elise have come, hiding themselves to not get caught. They could hear Shigure singing and wanted to see the boys practice. As they watch Shigure and Inigo get closer, they begin to wonder if this is more than an act. Their suspicions are confirmed when they see the boys kiss on stage.

     Sharena can’t contain her excitement. She jumps up and down, practically shrieking. This startles the boys apart. They quickly spot the girls, who then come out of hiding. The girls begin questioning them excitedly. Shigure and Inigo try their best to play it off like it’s simply part of the show. Neither Elise or Sharena believe them.

     Before they can be stopped, the girls run off to tell their friends about what they witnessed. Shigure and Inigo are left standing there, horrified. The rumor spreads quickly, leaving them in an awkward place. Shigure becomes practically paranoid. He starts refusing affection even when alone with Inigo. Obviously, this starts putting a lot of strain on them.

     The boys are in the castle garden, trying to get away from everyone. “Maybe… maybe this isn’t a good idea… us, I mean…” Shigure says quietly. Inigo looks at him in shock.

“What?! Shigure you’re kidding right?!” Inigo responds, the worry in his voice clear.

     “I… don’t know… Inigo.. They saw us! Now everyone is suspicious!” Shigure really doesn’t like people knowing about his private life. Inigo scowls, confused and a little hurt.

     “After all we’ve been through. All the effort we’ve put in to be together and you’re willing to throw it away because others know about it?!” Inigo is more than a little shaken right now. Shigure awkwardly shrugs and looks away.

     “You know how I am, Inigo. I… like to keep things to myself…” he mutters. Inigo is actually a little mad at this point.

     “No. Absolutely not. I’m not letting you break things off over something so small!”

     “It isn’t small to me Inigo!! You KNOW this!!” the two then stay silent for a moment. Both need to calm down. Both are aware of this. They sit themselves on a nearby bench in the garden, still collecting themselves.

     “Shigure… I’ve been respecting your desire to keep things private for nearly two months now. It’s hard for me, but I do it anyway because I love you. There are many, many times every day where I wish to hold your hand, kiss your cheek, hold you close… all without worry about who sees it. To me, having everyone know is nothing bad. If anything it’s a relief. Besides, even if we… stop all this… the rumors are still there. People will know SOMETHING happened between us. That can’t be changed. So why bother?” Inigo says, his voice once again calm. There are some tears in his eyes. He hopes Shigure is thinking clearly.

     “That’s true… breaking up will only hurt…” Shigure admits.

     “So what do you want to do, Shigure? How do you want to handle all this? You’re out of your comfort zone now and you can’t go back,” Shigure takes some time to think over Inigo’s words.

     “Our show is in a couple days, right? We go on stage. We do our act. We include the kiss at the end. Confirm the rumors to everyone. Get it all out of the way. I’m sure… I’m sure I’ll get over this discomfort with time,” Shigure finally says, staring at the ground. He feels Inigo take his hand. Shigure doesn’t have to even look at him to know he’s smiling.

     So the boys soon perform. They kiss in front of everyone. Whispers of surprise are heard among the crowd of heroes. Some still don’t buy it, believing it to just be for show. Inigo and Shigure soon prove them wrong.

     Shigure begins to allow Inigo to publicly display affection. Small things at first. Holding his hand, petting his hair, things like that. Eventually, he allows more. Long and loving hugs, kisses on the cheek and forehead. Shigure soon starts reciprocating the actions. As he grows more and more comfortable with everyone knowing, he eventually allows kisses on the lips. Obviously they’re not going to start making out in front of everyone, but quick pecks are fine. The hurdle, though difficult, is crossed. Inigo and Shigure are closer because of it.

     Things continue to grow between them. There are many good times, but also many bad. Petty arguments, times when one of them relives past traumas, boundaries crossed by mistake, even feeling the passion between them fade at one point. Neither let those things break them apart.

     They remain nothing but committed. They get over their arguments, coming to a compromise. They comfort one another when the trauma of losing past loved ones becomes difficult to bare, even frustrating. They apologize for stepping over boundaries and learn how to do better in the future. When the passion fades, they find a way to reignite it. A year and a half later, and their bonds are stronger than ever before, only getting stronger. Because of this, Inigo decides it’s time to truly solidify their relationship.

     Another show is coming up, though this time Inigo and Shigure aren’t the only performers. They will be the last act in the show, and Inigo intends to make it the best act. He has a plan of action. He tells few people of what he intends to do. Olivia, of course, because she’s his mother. Azura too, in order to get her blessing. A few of the people working backstage, so that everything goes according to plan. Kiran, so she knows how to appropriately change their status in her “Support System” catalog.

     Inigo is all prepared. He’s nervous, as anyone would be in his situation. He’s sure it’ll all go well, but nerves will be nerves. He’s going to really have to fight that pesky social anxiety for this one. He buys a ring from a local smith, hiding it in his dancer outfit. So far, all is going according to plan.

     The day of the show, Inigo has to fight back panic almost every hour. He’s successful, but gods it’s hard. Soon it’s time for Inigo and Shigure to do the closing act.

     Shigure goes out first. Behind him, Inigo stands, concealed by Shigure. Music begins to play, Shigure begins to sing. It’s a slow song at first. Calm and lovely. Soon however, the pace quickens. That’s when Inigo jumps out from behind Shigure and the show really kicks off. The dancing is lively and quick, as well as the singing. It took them many tries to nail it all down, especially Shigure since he has to sing and dance at the same time.

     The end of the performance starts to draw near. Inigo feels his nerves returning but he refuses to let them stop him. He’s made it this far. He can’t back out now. Right as Shigure finishes the final note, Inigo enacts the final step. He does an elaborate spinning move, moving towards Shigure. He grabs Shigure’s hand as he stops and swiftly gets down on one knee.

     At first Shigure thinks it’s part of the performance. Inigo is prone to adding his own touches to things last minute. He expects the lights to fade and for the two of them to go backstage as normal. But the lights don’t fade. It dawns on Shigure when Inigo gets out the ring. The entire crowd seems shocked, yet incredibly excited by the development.

     “Shigure. I want you to be by my side, now and forever. Let’s make what we have official. Will you marry me?” Inigo asks, making sure he’s loud enough for the whole crowd to hear.

     Shigure looks like he might faint. His face goes pale. He looks like a startled deer, his eyes are so wide. “Inigo… are you… is this… is this real?! You’re serious?!” he chokes out in disbelief.

     “It’s absolutely real, Shigure,” Inigo assures him, smiling. Shigure clearly grapples with the information. He mutters nonsense, tears building in his eyes. Eventually, he gets his answer out.

     “Wh… I… YES!! GODS INIGO YES!!” the crowd cheers at his answer. The ring is placed on Shigure’s finger. Inigo stands and Shigure is quick to embrace him. He cries into his now fiance’s shoulder, overwhelmed with joy.

     “You just had to make it a big show, huh? Gods, you drama queen!” Shigure sobs to Inigo. Inigo just laughs, patting his back.

     “Did you expect any less of me?”

     “No. No of course not!”

     So the boys begin their plans. They decide quickly on when and where to hold the wedding. By the lake where their relationship first began, early evening so that night would fall at its end, middle of summer. However, they begin to disagree on other things. Mostly on how big it should be.

     Inigo wants to invite a large number of people. Make the event huge. Shigure wants only family invited. He thinks it should be more personal. Eventually they come to an agreement. Small ceremony, big reception. Then… another problem arises.

     Family ties can be rather confusing in the castle. Many individuals come from different worlds. Even people who seem to be from the same place may come from an alternate timeline. This is why the Azura Kiran summoned isn’t the same one who had Shigure, and the same with Inigo and Olivia. Who qualifies as family at that point?

     “I want to invite Laslow and Soleil!” Inigo says excitedly.

     “No, Inigo that’s weird!” Shigure is quick to turn it down.

     “Why?! Laslow is literally me! Just like… 8 years older… and using a fake name… and for some reason was in a version of your world… and has a daughter…” Inigo rambles. He shakes his head to get himself back on track. “Pleeeeeeeease Shigure?!”

     “If we invite Laslow do we invite Felicia too? That’s who he married back in his world!”

     “No, why would we invite her? Is the one Kiran summoned even the same Felicia he married?” Inigo is confused now.

     “I think so. They seemed to know each other. The Soleil summoned is their actual daughter too.”

     “............ does this mean I’m going to have TWO spouses???? Double married????” Inigo’s just getting more confused now. Shigure puts a hand on his face.

     “No. Laslow married Felicia. I’m marrying you. Soleil is Laslow and Felicia’s daughter, not yours,” he tries to explain.

     “Yeah but Laslow is me, so by that logic Soleil is also MY daughter,” Inigo counters. Suddenly Kiran pipes up.

     “He’s got a point. Genetically Soleil would be his daughter. That’s how shit works,” she says, not even looking up from her book. The boys look at her, confused. Not only did they think she wasn’t paying attention, but they have no idea what genetics mean.

     “Genetically????” Inigo asks after a bit. Kiran looks at them both.

     “God fucking shit fuck damn I can’t talk about science to anyone in this shithole you all don’t know goddamn SHIT!!” she rants, closing her book and tossing it on the ground. She then proceeds to storm out.

     They get a brief explanation of genetics and how they work later, which actually helps them come to a conclusion. They decide Laslow and Soleil can come, but not Felicia. Oddly Felicia is totally fine with it, saying she’d probably cry too much and break something if she attended.

     Next issue the boys must solve is who will walk down the aisle. They figure it out through their birthdays. The earlier birthday walks. Just so happens that Shigure is the one with the earlier birthday. Shigure then consults Subaki, seeing as in his world, Subaki is his father. Shigure asks if Subaki will walk him down. Though this Subaki isn’t the same one who fathered Shigure, he agrees nonetheless, saying it would be his honor.

     The day of the ceremony is both exciting and nerve wracking. Shigure is busy getting ready in his room, his mother assisting him.

     “I almost can’t believe this is actually happening…” he says under his breath as Azura brushes and decorates his hair.

     “It’s alright to be nervous, dear. It’s an important time for you,” she comforts him. She places a few flowers in his hair. Orange ones to compliment his blue hair.

     “Yeah… I’m excited. And terrified…” Shigure fidgets his hands.

     “Yes, that’s perfectly normal. I promise Shigure, you will be just fine. You will be happy once this is all done. I promise you that,” Azura strokes his hair. Shigure sighs.

     “Thank you, mother,” he smiles. Soon it’s time for him to head out. He stands, his Hoshidan inspired robes all donned.

     Things go as smoothly as they could have. Subaki walks Shigure down, the sound of nature singing them there. Inigo looks awestruck. He’s never seen Shigure look more lovely.

     They begin to exchange their vows, but Shigure surprises everyone by singing them to Inigo. Inigo nearly loses his mind, having to take a moment to recover from a sudden outburst of tears.

     The ceremony continues, the couple kisses, and they walk off hand in hand. Then the real party starts.

     All the heroes are invited to the reception. No surprise, things get rather wild. That’s putting it mildly too. There’s a lot of drinking. A lot of bad jokes. A lot of dancing. Still, Shigure and Inigo enjoy it regardless. Inigo enjoys it a little too much in fact.

     Shigure and Inigo have been granted access to a special room to spend the evening in. They were told they can have it as long as they clean up any mess they make. Getting there proves to be a challenge though.

     Inigo can hardly stand, he’s so drunk. Shigure helps support him of course, but it’s still hard.

     “Y’ din’t need ta pull drink out ma haaaaand!!” Inigo drunkenly complains as they walk.

     “I absolutely did, Inigo. One more drink and you would’ve been in the infirmary. I’m not having my husband die of alcohol poisoning the night I marry him,” Shigure says. Inigo just makes a ton of nonsense sounds in an attempt to complain. Eventually Inigo decides he doesn’t want to walk anymore and sits in the middle of the hallway until Shigure picks him up and carries him.

     “Hey love. Love love you doin the drink you do the thing you drrink a drink good yeah! Good I’m god of dick…” Inigo rambles as Shigure sets him on the bed.

     “Yes yes, I love you too Inigo. Now sleep,” Shigure insists. Inigo immediately tries to get out of bed.

     “No! Inigo lie down!” Shigure pushes him back down. Inigo turns up the charm.

     “Yer ver cute~” he flirts poorly. Shigure sighs in exasperation.

     “No. You’re drunk,”

     “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?!” Inigo begs. “Sooooo cute ver cute nice I wannit. Put sssssome alcohol in butt get drunk ‘n fuck same time.”

     “I am absolutely not doing that. That’s a terrible idea anyway. You’re too drunk, Inigo, please sleep,” Shigure denies him.

     “M NOT TOO DRUNK FER A GOOD PEEEEEEENIS!” Inigo yells much to Shigure’s dismay. He tries to get out of the bed again.

     “Absolutely not!” once again Inigo is forced back down. He whines in protest.

     “I’m an alcohol...” he states.

     “Oh good, you’re aware of it now,” Shigure thinks he might be getting somewhere. He’s wrong. Inigo tries to get up again.

     “INIGO! Stop!! I swear I will hold you until you fall asleep if you don’t stop!”

     “Promiiiise?” Inigo is grinning like a dumbass. Shigure groans. He gets into the bed next to Inigo. He wraps his arms tightly around his drunken husband, pinning his arms down. He further restrains him by hooking his legs around Inigo’s. Even like this, Inigo squirms.

     “Inigo settle down please,” Shigure mumbles.

     “Shgure sing t’ me~” Inigo requests.

     “If I sing to you, will you settle down?”

     “Yees!”

      “Alright then,” and so Shigure sings. Song after song goes by, and eventually Inigo calms. Shigure stops singing once he thinks Inigo has fallen asleep. Moments of peace go by, until Inigo shows that he’s not asleep by speaking.

      “Hey… Sssssugar. What’re we gon’ do now?” he mumbles. “Like… w’re MARRIED now. What do???”

     “Don’t fret. We have our whole lives to figure that out. Together,” Shigure says to him sweetly. There’s a pause. Inigo huffs.

     “Tha’s real fuckin’ cheesy. I married a cheese man…” Inigo groans.

     “I’m cheese man now? I thought I was Sugar!” Shigure jokes.

     “AaaaaaAAAAAAAGH!!!” Inigo yells in response. “BOTH!! I sleep now!” Inigo plops his head back down. In almost an instant he’s asleep. Shigure chuckles.

     “Good night my love. I will be with you, now and forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter, the story concludes! Thank you so much for reading my self indulgent rarepair fic! I was sad there was next to no content of these two, so I went and made my own!  
> Originally, this was just going to be a oneshot. I'm absolutely stunned that I made it longer and actually FINISHED it! That hardly ever happens!
> 
> Thank you all again! I may make more fics of these two in the future. Separate from this story of course (though perhaps existing in the same timeline).


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